City of Detroit, DPD 9th Precinct was Awarded for the 2023 Michigan Battle of the Buildings Competition in the Office Category

city of detroit

This year we celebrated 10 years of the Michigan Energy Summit and 10 years of amazing projects and energy efficiency initiatives! Over the past 10 years, we have had a total of 149 winners from 75 different organizations, representing 264 Michigan cities. Since the program's inception in 2014, our competitors have redirected over $100 million of utility costs back to their bottom line and avoided almost 550,000 metric tons of CO2e. Over 272 million square feet of Michigan commercial real estate competed against each other in 2023 in this biggest loser-styled energy competition. The 2023 Michigan Battle of the Buildings competitors saved $7.4 million in energy costs and avoided 47,178 metric tons of CO2e which is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 55,514 acres of US forests in one year! This year we had 11 industry-specific category winners. We are so excited to announce the Detroit Police Department, 9th Precinct, as the 2023 Michigan Battle of the Buildings winner in the Office Category!

 

The DPD 9th precinct is a 30,000 square foot facility and is one of 12 precincts. The precinct is located in the East Side of Detroit and provides law enforcement services to Detroit residents and business stakeholders located on the City’s eastern neighborhoods. The facility is one of the busiest precincts in the City and includes day-to-day precinct patrol operations, criminal investigations, administration, and specialized activities — such as grand jury proceedings. With this being one of the busiests locations, there may be as many as 100 members of law enforcement and citizens at the site. 

 

In late 2022, the 9th Precinct underwent a remodel to better serve the Department and to improve energy efficiency. There were lighting/electrical issues throughout the building, as well as HVAC issues. This building’s infrastructure was outdated, and in partial disrepair. All of the lights were upgraded to LEDs, motion sensors were added, new windows were installed, and they installed a new rooftop unit and Building Management System. 

 

The City of Detroit has been working with the Detroit 2030 District to get their buildings benchmarked in Energy Star Portfolio Manager with the help of the DTE Data Hub. Benchmarking has helped them to see the progress they are making in reducing energy usage. The City of Detroit's Office of Sustainability leads initiatives that reduce emissions, increase resilience and improve residents’ quality of life. The Office supports departments, like the police department, to advance bold climate goals set by the Sustainability Action Agenda​ and the Detroit Climate Strategy. 

 

One of their goals is Accelerating Energy Efficiency & Reducing Waste. Energy used by buildings, especially large commercial buildings, make up the greatest proportion of GHG emissions in Detroit, around 62% or 2/3rds of all emissions. Reducing energy usage in municipal buildings reduces GHG emissions and saves on costs. This also helps the City to lead by example and encourage the private sector to follow suit so they can achieve GHG reduction goals, together. 

 

When asked what it means to the organization to be a winner in the Michigan Battle of the Buildings competition, Zahra Seblini in the Office of Sustainability said “The award underscores the effectiveness of swapping out old lighting and replacing old HVAC systems to reduce energy usage. This award is especially exciting as the City is rolling out the Benchmarking Building Ordinance impacting buildings 100K SF and greater. The City is grateful to USGBC-WM for holding the Energy Summit and awards and we are excited to feature the award in the buildings as a reminder that we can all take part in reducing energy in buildings.”

 

Projects like the one at the 9th precinct exemplify the commitment the city has to their goals. In the future, the City plans to continue identifying energy efficiency projects across the municipal building portfolio, and base improvements on data collected as part of their Municipal Benchmarking Effort.

 

We were excited to celebrate the City of Detroit and the Detroit Police Department’s 9th Precinct accomplishments in energy efficiency at our annual Michigan Energy Summit on May 8, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where they were awarded in the Office category!