Coldspring – the leading quarrier and fabricator of natural stone and bronze manufacturing in North America – was recognized by Xcel Energy for its outstanding achievements in energy efficiency. Xcel Energy presented the “Recognition of Excellence Award” to Coldspring Tuesday, November 5, at the utility’s annual Energy Solutions Expo at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.
The Recognition of Excellence awards honor Xcel Energy’s Minnesota business customers that have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to energy efficiency. Six organizations received awards for their efforts completed in 2018 and 2019 using Xcel Energy’s portfolio of energy solutions, long-term strategies and leadership.
“Coldspring was founded in 1898 with a commitment to good stewardship in every aspect of our operations,” says Ray Jaeger, Engineering and Environmental Manager. “Today, we continue this mission by taking our commitment to the environment very seriously at every location. Coldspring has made significant advancements in energy reduction in recent years, and we’re honored to receive recognition from Xcel Energy for our efforts.”
In 2008, Coldspring implemented a long-term plan to reduce energy usage by 2 percent every year and to date their annual average energy reduction has exceeded that goal with an anticipated 10 percent reduction for 2019. These achievements are a result of the completion of a wide variety of innovative projects including wide-scale custom equipment upgrades and energy-efficient LED lighting.
In addition to implementing custom equipment and lighting, Coldspring has added new processes to save energy, including renewable wind through Xcel’s WIndsource program. In August 2019, Coldspring installed more than 3,000 solar electric panels at its Minnesota headquarters. The 1-megawatt ground array system covers approximately 5 acres and – along with renewable wind energy – is helping Coldspring achieve an estimated reduction in energy consumption of 12 percent each year.
“Coldspring has a history of demonstrating leadership for the environment not only in the state of Minnesota but also within the natural stone industry,” says Kathy Spanier, Director of Marketing at Coldspring. “In 2006, we began working within the stone industry to form a sustainability committee which would later implement the industry’s first third-party-verified standard to recognize the sustainable production of natural stone, ANSI/NSC 373. Reducing energy consumption has played an important role in Coldspring’s ability to achieve ANSI/NSC 373 certifications at various locations.”
Xcel Energy recognized five additional organizations with Recognition of Excellence Awards: Cargill Office Services, Regions Hospital, Saint Paul Public Schools, Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center, and Target. For more information on Xcel Energy, visit www.xcelenergy.com.
