Turning energy savings into brighter futures

Adtran’s participation in TVA’s Strategic Energy Management program helped make one Alabama high school a more sustainable and pleasant learning environment. Our multi-award-winning energy manager explains how we did it.
Kelley Whalen
Young people

What if your energy savings could help light up classrooms and empower the next generation? At Adtran, we’ve turned that vision into reality. Through the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Energy Right Solutions Incentives program, we saved 3 million kilowatt hours of electricity, earning recognition as TVA’s top participant for Strategic Energy Management (SEM).

This achievement gave us the opportunity to reinvest 20% of the cash equivalent of our savings – $95,000 – back into our community. After a company-wide vote, we chose Buckhorn High School in Huntsville, Alabama – a place close to our headquarters and our hearts.

What does 3 million kilowatt hours really mean?

Big numbers are impressive, but let’s make them tangible. Saving that much energy is equivalent to:

  • Powering 422 homes for a year
  • Driving 5.1 million miles – enough for more than 1,800 cross-country road trips
  • Recycling 716 tons of waste instead of sending it to a landfill

But this impact is more than just numbers – it’s a direct investment in sustainability and the future of our community.

How we saved 3 million kilowatt hours

Achieving these savings required a strategic approach and strong collaboration. At our Huntsville campus, we implemented a range of energy efficiency measures, from automated LED lighting to optimizing HVAC systems with automation and sensors. Small yet impactful changes – like consolidating building resources and covering unused rack spaces – helped us achieve significant energy reductions.

By partnering with TVA and Huntsville Utilities, we set ambitious targets and achieved significant results. These efforts enabled us to fund energy-efficient upgrades at Buckhorn High School, improving air quality and the learning environment for 1,300 students and faculty.

Through strategic energy management, we’ve saved enough energy to power 422 homes for a year and reinvested $95,000 into our community.
Why partnerships power sustainability

Energy optimization isn’t something you tackle alone. Collaborations with organizations like TVA have shown us that partnerships are essential for addressing global sustainability concerns.

At Adtran, we’re committed to going further. We were among the first companies to join the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), aligning our goals with global efforts to reduce both direct and indirect emissions. In parallel, we’re driving innovation in energy-efficient telecommunications technologies that not only lower power requirements but also accelerate digitization across industries, creating broader sustainability gains.

Start your energy management journey today

We’ve seen how strategic energy management can transform communities and empower future generations. Whether it’s saving energy at home, optimizing resources at work or collaborating on global solutions, every step counts.

We’re all partners when it comes to overcoming the global climate challenge, so let’s work together to build a better world through strategic energy management. Where will your energy optimization journey begin?

 

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