As the broader community celebrates Earth Day, Johnson County has seen investments in energy saving measures for Johnson County buildings begin to pay off.

After spending $1.7 million on new measures to reduce energy use since 2015, the county has been able to avoid more than $3 million in energy costs during that same time frame. The savings from these investments will continue to grow well into the future. These efforts also reduced the county’s greenhouse gas emissions by 6,442 metric tons since 2015. 

"By investing in cost-conscious energy efficiency measures for our buildings, we’ve been able to realize environmental, public health and financial benefits,” said Mike Kelly, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. “We look forward to continued investment in a resilient community." 

In 2024, the energy costs across all buildings managed by Johnson County Facilities Management were $562 lower than the 2015 costs despite a 19 percent increase in prices for electricity and natural gas. During the same time frame, Johnson County also increased its building square footage by more than 196,000 square feet.

Seven county buildings earned ENERGY STAR certifications in 2024. The program, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, certifies buildings that are in the top 25% of the most efficient buildings in energy use and performance. The facilities that earned the certification include:

• Sunset Office Building, 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Olathe
• Justice Annex Building, 588 E. Santa Fe St., Olathe
• Administration Building, 111 S. Cherry St., Olathe
• North Central Multi-Service Center, 12425 W. 87th St., Lenexa
• Johnson County Courthouse, 150 W. Santa Fe St., Olathe
• Northeast Office Building, 6000 Lamar Ave., Mission
• Public Works Office Building, 1800 W. Old Highway 56, Olathe

Energy savings have been achieved through lighting projects, mechanical and electrical equipment upgrades and retiring aging, inefficient buildings and replacing them with high-performance new construction. These have been undertaken alongside other energy-saving measures taken during the previous several years.  

 “These savings are the result of years of planning and intentional work from county staff,” said Tony Barron, Director of Facilities Management. “We continue to look for additional savings, including in our buildings with the highest usage rates.”

Recently, the BOCC voted to include enhanced energy-saving measures into plans for a new Health Services Building at the county, including rooftop solar panels.

In the future, Johnson County’s Facilities Management and other departments plan to evaluate county buildings for potential solar panel projects to achieve additional energy savings in the years to come.