Craig Sanders Wins Department of Energy Sustainability Champion Award

DOE honored Craig Sanders with its 2024 Sustainability Champion Award for his exceptional leadership in promoting sustainability and efficiency. This award recognizes individuals who drive meaningful change within their work environment and at DOE sites, particularly focusing on projects that enhance energy and water efficiency.

BPA's Sustainability Office accepted the award on Craig's behalf in Washington D.C. on Sept. 12. The ceremony was part of DOE's second annual Sustainability Summit, hosted by the DOE Sustainability Performance Office. The summit serves as a platform for sustainability practitioners across DOE sites to learn about upcoming federal initiatives and knowledge share. The Summit covered efficient buildings, fleet electrification, sustainable acquisition, climate resilience, and more.

Award-Winning Work

As a facilities maintenance worker for BPA's Redmond District, Craig oversees more than 60 facilities spread across 50,000 square miles in Oregon and northern California. With expertise in systems that keep these sites operational he has played a key role in numerous water and energy efficiency projects. His efforts include LED lighting upgrades, water-efficient xeriscaping, the implementation of facility metering and more—all while managing his regular responsibilities to ensure BPA's mission-critical buildings remain fully functional.

Craig has been instrumental in advancing several major energy efficiency initiatives. Since 2016, Craig has been a major partner in 21 LED upgrade projects. One stand out example is the Malin Maintenance Headquarters (MHQ) Shop Lighting Project. The Malin MHQ, a 5,000 square foot warehouse and shop in Oregon, is used for storing and maintaining vehicles, electrical equipment, and supplies. The original lighting system, installed in the early 1990s, used high bay luminaires with high-intensity discharge lamps, typical in spaces like warehouses and shops. Craig helped lead a project that replaces these lamps with i LEDs while allowing existing luminaires to be reused.

Craig has also spearheaded several smaller energy and water efficiency projects across the Redmond territory projects including:

1. Solar blinds: At the Malin Substation, Craig independently upgraded the south-facing windows with solar blinds and automated lighting controls. These controls adjust based on natural light, turning off when sunlight is sufficient and turning on when needed, enhancing both energy savings and occupant comfort.
2. Automated roll-up doors: To reduce heating and cooling costs at BPA's Redmond Substation, Craig implemented automated roll-up doors that close after a set time. This not only cuts energy waste, but also improves safety and prevents incidents like the water damage caused by a door left open in winter at another substation.
3. Metering: Craig played a crucial role in installing meters at sites such as the Redmond Substation to track energy usage. Since many BPA facilities use internal power without utility bills, meters are essential for measuring consumption.

Project Benefits

His lighting projects alone have saved 808,300 kWh  (based on the BPA Energy Efficiency org's lighting calculator) and an estimated cost savings of $58,070 (estimated utility cost per year saved for utility fed sites plus estimated revenue increase per year for station serviced sites) while earning $125,850 in utility incentives (these are one time rebates earned on efficiency projects and are deposited into the BPA work order used to fund the project). These savings are equivalent to avoiding approximately 565 metric tons of carbon dioxide according to EPA's Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.

Beyond measurable results, Craig is fostering a culture of sustainability at BPA., His proactive approach demonstrates that sustainability can be driven by anyone, regardless of job title, and has the potential to create lasting environmental impact across BPA and DOE.