City of Milwaukee strengthens infrastructure and energy resilience

Milwaukee needed to upgrade facilities supporting public works, fleet services and emergency communications while managing aging building systems and limited capital. The City targeted the Department of Public Works headquarters and Police District 3, which houses its 911 communications center, to strengthen infrastructure used for essential daily services.

Leaders also wanted to reduce long-term operating expenses, generate more power locally, and improve visibility into utility costs, energy consumption and renewable energy generation. Without centralized data, identifying savings opportunities, measuring project performance and reporting progress toward citywide goals was difficult.

The City needed a funding strategy that could accelerate improvements, use available federal incentives and minimize taxpayer impact. It also wanted the investment to create family-supporting jobs and expand participation by Milwaukee residents through workforce development programs.

Following comprehensive facility energy audits, the City of Milwaukee and Johnson Controls developed an outcome-based performance contract aligned with the City’s operational and community priorities. The approach combined guaranteed energy savings, financing strategies and available incentives to help fund infrastructure improvements while reducing future operating costs. City-owned solar assets were also used to capture Inflation Reduction Act Direct Pay incentives.

At the DPW headquarters, two constant air volume rooftop units were replaced with high-efficiency variable air volume YORK ® rooftop units integrated with the Metasys Building Automation Sstem. At Police District 3, more than 1,500 lights were retrofitted with LED technology. City-owned solar arrays increased on-site renewable energy generation at both facilities.

OpenBlue Sustainability Manager and Green Hub solutions gave the City centralized utility bill management, real-time energy monitoring, renewable energy tracking and public-facing dashboards. These tools support ongoing reporting, performance measurement and data-driven decisions across the participating facilities.

The project also aligned with the City’s Residents Preference Program, connecting the infrastructure work with local training and workforce participation goals.

The project delivers guaranteed annual energy and operations and maintenance savings of $107,083, with projected savings of more than $2.75 million over 20 years. These savings reduce future operating expenses and help preserve public resources for other community priorities.

A 626-kW solar installation at the DPW headquarters is expected to produce approximately 795 MWh annually and supply nearly 60% of the facility’s current electricity needs. A 165-kW installation at Police District 3 is expected to generate approximately 200 MWh annually, reducing reliance on purchased electricity at the critical public facility.

Modernized HVAC equipment, lighting upgrades and improved facility conditions strengthened infrastructure supporting public works and emergency response. Centralized energy management tools also improved the City’s ability to monitor and report progress. Through the Residents Preference Program, 40% of project employees were trained Milwaukee residents, supporting local workforce development and pathways to family-supporting careers in the clean energy economy.

The City of Milwaukee is a local government in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its public facilities support services including public works, fleet operations, public safety and 911 emergency communications. The City manages competing municipal priorities within limited capital budgets. Its Climate and Equity Plan includes goals related to renewable energy generation, greenhouse gas emissions and community development.