Jeff Osberg, Chief Engineer
Jeff Osberg will never take center stage, but he has played a vital supporting role at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts for more than 24 years. As the chief engineer, Jeff and his team are responsible for everything from making sure that the stage house fly system is functioning and that priceless instruments are properly humidified to making certain that the front doors can open and the toilets can flush for the 300,000 patrons that attend over 220 performances and events each year. Considering the daily complications that can arise from live theater and concerts, Jeff appreciates that District Energy helps to make his job easier while keeping costs down.
Jeff has been responsible for heating and cooling buildings that utilize on-site energy generation, and he says that, “It is a treat to not have to deal with boilers, chemicals, fuel, and all the aspects that go along with having your own heating and cooling systems. Our District Energy interface is so much easier to operate that it frees up a tremendous amount of time and helps to reduce our staffing needs in the engineering department.” Jeff also attributes cost savings to the direct support that he receives from the District Energy team. While the engineering staff is continuously monitoring the building systems, on the occasions when the system is not running optimally a call from District Energy has helped to identify issues before they became costly.
Pirates of Penzance
Photo credit: Molly Shields
With the theater’s busy schedule of rehearsals, shows, and events, heating and cooling reliability is essential. Jeff emphasizes, “The reliability of District Energy is phenomenal, which you don’t get with your own system. If your system is down, you are down. There hasn’t been a day when we haven’t had the service.”
Jeff and his colleagues at the Ordway describe their District Energy service as a partnership. Since the Ordway opened more than 30 years ago, District Energy has provided the theater with an energy solution that is easy, economical, and reliable, and in 1991 they became the first customer to sign a contract for cooling services. At District Energy, we are proud to be connected to a Minnesota institution that provides high quality entertainment and educational opportunities for our community.