City park energy efficiency projects honored with 2026 Environment + Energy Leader Award

NORESCO partnership to yield $94 million in savings, infrastructure improvements at 49 parks

An island-wide effort to improve dozens of your City parks and gardens, while making them more energy efficient, has been recognized as a national leader for energy innovation! The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and partner NORESCO are proud to announce their energy savings performance contract (ESPC) has won the 2026 Environment + Energy Leader Award in the Energy Innovation Category. The annual program recognizes companies delivering measurable progress in energy, sustainability, or environmental outcomes.

It comes as the first phase of the ESPC was fully realized in 2025, with the City already seeing millions of dollars in energy savings, facility improvements at 49 parks and gardens, and reduced water and electricity usage around O‘ahu. Specifically, these improvements resulted in nearly 4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity conserved and 210 million gallons of water saved in the project’s first full contract year, yielding $3.5 million in verified utility bill savings.

These park improvements include a wide variety of energy conservation measures designed to both make your shared spaces more efficient, while also improving maintenance and sustainability in accord with the City’s Climate Action Plan. These improvements include: LED lighting, more efficient plumbing fixtures, weather-based irrigation controls, repaired water leaks, new pool pumps with chlorine generation, and improved electric transformers. Check out which parks received the upgrades by visiting the interactive online map at: bit.ly/efficientparks

“This partnership has truly led to some amazing achievements, and this award is a reflection of the hard work and tangible upgrades our parks and gardens have enjoyed through it,” said Laura H. Thielen, DPR Director. “While addressing deferred maintenance and making our parks more efficient are honorable goals, NORESCO and our team have kept the people and our natural environment as the top priorities throughout the effort. Some amazing examples of this are the improvements to the Ken Suenaga Pearl City District Park pool, which enabled it to reopen after being closed for nearly five years, and adjusting our LED lights at Sandy Beach Park to accommodate nesting sea turtles. Making our public facilities more available, minimizing our environmental impact, and staying transparent and flexible to community concerns have truly led to these commendable results.”

By the end of the 20-year contract period, the ESPC aims to deliver $94 million in savings. Read more about these achievements by visiting: bit.ly/sustainableparks

Two other NORESCO projects also shared this award, including a $20 million energy and sustainability improvement effort at 25 Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland and a utility infrastructure modernization project with California State University Fresno. Honolulu DPR’s partnership with NORESCO was also a runner-up for U.S. Energy Project of the Year in the Association of Energy Engineer’s 2026 International Awards.

“Our partnership with the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation is about more than just upgrading facilities, it’s about serving the people of O‘ahu and building a stronger community together,” said Troy Walters, President and CEO, NORESCO. “We are committed to making a positive impact and ensuring these improvements benefit residents and visitors for years to come. As cities and counties across the country face rising utility costs, this partnership demonstrates how performance-based solutions can reduce water waste, control costs, and reinvest savings into public spaces. We are honored by the trust our customers place in NORESCO to advance their strategic energy, efficiency and performance results. Receiving this prestigious recognition allows us to share their stories on an even bigger stage.”

About the Environment + Energy Leader Awards

Now in its 14th year, the Environment + Energy Leader Awards program recognizes excellence across products, projects, startups, and organizational initiatives that deliver meaningful advancements in environmental programs, sustainability and energy management. Entries are evaluated by an independent panel of industry experts, with a focus on innovation, scalability and measurable impact. Winners are recognized as leaders in advancing best practices and setting new standards across the global energy and environmental landscape. More information is available at: www.environmentenergyleader.com/awards/

If you need an auxiliary aid/service, other accommodations due to a disability, or an interpreter for a language other than English in reference to this announcement, please contact the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation at (808) 768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email parks@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the scheduled event. Without sufficient advanced notice, it may not be possible to fulfill requests.

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Follow the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation online and on social media:

YouTube: bit.ly/DPRyoutube    Twitter: @honolulu_parks   Instagram: @honolulu_parks 

Facebook: facebook.com/honolulu.parks    Nextdoor: bit.ly/DPRnextdoor    

Website: honolulu.gov/parks