US Equities Realty engaged Cyclone Energy Group in 2012 to consult on energy management at 20 N. Michigan Avenue. Together, Cyclone and the building team annually plan and execute capital and operational projects; manage demand-side energy consumption; adhere to local energy ordinances by benchmarking energy consumption; and report on realized cost savings, trends, opportunities, and achievements.

Since working with Cyclone, 20 N. Michigan has completed capital projects that shed an estimated 683,000 kWh and 24,000 therms annually – translating into nearly 30% whole building energy savings. These capital projects include: a cooling plant retrofit, heating plant retrofit, variable frequency drive additions, and demand control ventilation additions. The property is expecting to secure nearly $110,000 in utility incentives to reduce project payback.

Ongoing building initiatives have included: working with the building team to obtain LEED Platinum in 2014, a step above their original Gold certification; obtaining a strong ENERGY STAR score that indicates that the building has outperformed 85% of peer buildings; and maintaining utility cost of $1.60/rsf, which is below the Chicago high-rise average.