During the ceremony, Trane Vice President Mitchell Farrell presented the award to the museum’s president and CEO, Alison Brown, and Patrick Hamilton, the museum’s director of global change initiatives at the science museum.            

The museum also received a $30,000 grant from the Ingersoll Rand Foundation to invest in the museum for educating kindergarten through 12th grade students on creating a more sustainable world.

“Our team was determined to reach its energy efficiency goals, to not only provide long term environmental benefits to our local community, but to make our building a living laboratory that demonstrates energy and sustainable solutions,” Brown said. “We want to inspire visitors that energy efficiency in large buildings is possible and feasible.”

Upgrades as part of the project chillers designed to lower environmental impact, a building automation system to control HVAC and lighting systems to keep the machines running at an optimized condition.

The project surpassed 75 percent of hot water heat savings since installation and decreased the amount of energy supply used in the community saving the museum more than $300,000 in operating costs year-over-year.

"We are very proud to honor the Science Museum of Minnesota with the Ingersoll Rand Foundation grant and Energy Efficiency Leader Award,” Farrell said. “The museum exemplifies how partnerships can impact the sustainability efforts of an entire city, in this case St. Paul.”