We’re proud to announce that Sustainable 9 has received Xcel Energy’s Top Electric Saver Award, one of the most meaningful recognitions a business in the Minneapolis metro can earn for energy stewardship. It’s a milestone that reflects not just the numbers on a utility bill, but a years-long commitment to building smarter, operating leaner, and leading by example in the green building space.
For Sustainable 9, sustainability isn’t a buzz word, it’s embedded in every decision we make, from the materials we specify to the mechanical systems we recommend to the way our own office and operations run. This award from Xcel Energy affirms that the work is paying off in measurable, real-world impact.
Xcel Energy’s Top Electric Saver Award is given to businesses and organizations in its Minnesota service territory that demonstrate significant reductions in electricity usage relative to baseline. Recipients are identified through Xcel’s conservation and energy efficiency programs, which track consumption patterns and reward those who go furthest in cutting waste without sacrificing productivity or comfort.
In a region where heating and cooling demands are substantial, Minnesota winters are no joke, reducing electrical load takes genuine commitment to building science, equipment efficiency, and behavioral change. Sustainable 9 approached this challenge systematically, making energy performance a core metric of how we design and operate.
“The most sustainable building is the one that uses the least energy to begin with. We try to live that principle ourselves before recommending it to our clients." Carl Elefante
Our energy savings didn’t come from a single dramatic retrofit. They came from stacking smart, incremental decisions over time: high-efficiency lighting and controls, optimized HVAC scheduling, building envelope improvements, equipment upgrades, and a team culture of reducing waste. Sustainable 9 also participates actively in Xcel’s demand response and efficiency programs, which surfaced additional opportunities to cut consumption.
On the design side, we’ve applied the same rigorous lens to client projects across the Twin Cities, helping homeowners, developers, and commercial clients specify systems and materials that deliver lasting performance. Winning this award reinforces that our energy recommendations to clients are grounded in practices we actually use ourselves.
When you hire a design-build firm in Minneapolis, you want to know they understand energy performance from the inside out, not just as theory, but as something they live with. Xcel Energy’s Top Electric Saver recognition is concrete evidence that Sustainable 9 practices what it preaches.
Whether you’re planning a new construction project, a deep energy retrofit, or simply trying to understand where your building is losing energy, our team brings firsthand experience navigating utility incentive programs, selecting high-performance systems, and achieving results that show up on your utility statement year after year.
We’re grateful to Xcel Energy for this recognition, and to our clients and partners across the Twin Cities who make this work possible. The Minneapolis metro is home to a forward-thinking community on energy and climate, it’s an honor to raise the bar alongside so many others doing the same work.
If you’re curious about how Sustainable 9 can help your Minneapolis or Twin Cities project reduce energy costs, qualify for Xcel Energy utility incentives, or achieve green building certifications, we’d love to connect. Because the best time to start saving energy was yesterday, and the second best time is now.
