Talk:Madison, WI Requiring New City Buildings to Be Certified as Green Buildings
City of Madison News Release
COUNCIL ADOPTS GREEN BUILDING RESOLUTION
http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/news/view.cfm?news_id=735
"Building green is the right thing to do," said Ald. Satya Rhodes-Conway (District 12). "It will save the City money and will have a positive impact on our environment."
Last night, in a unanimous vote, the Madison Common Council adopted a resolution requiring any new or substantially renovated City-owned buildings to be certified as green buildings at the silver level under the LEED© (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standard. The resolution, sponsored by Rhodes-Conway, will ensure that any new City buildings are built to be as energy- and water-efficient as possible.
"This resolution will save the taxpayers of Madison money. We'll pay less in energy and water bills with LEED© certified buildings," said Rhodes-Conway.
LEED© certified buildings use on average 30% less energy than average buildings. In addition to energy savings, LEED© buildings reduce average water use by 40%, waste by 65% and harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 30%.
"Green buildings are healthier for those working in them, as well," added Rhodes-Conway. "The City will benefit from improved employee attraction and retention, not to mention reduced health care costs and the increased morale that comes from working in a cleaner environment."
"I applaud Ald. Rhodes-Conway's leadership on this issue," Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said. "The City needs to lead by example. We can't realistically expect others to embrace energy efficiency unless we step up to the plate and embrace it ourselves. I look forward to working with Ald. Rhodes-Conway to ensure that the City remains on the cutting edge of energy efficiency and green building."
Madison has some experience with green building already - the Emil St. Engineering building renovation and the new fire station are examples of green-built City projects. In addition, Monona Terrace recently received LEED© certification.
LEED© is the accepted standard in the U.S. market, already comprising 1.5 billion square feet and $12 billion in real estate. LEED© is an evolving, consensus-based system of the more than 12,000 member organizations of the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council. It requires independent, third party certification. Madison joins federal government departments, 26 states and more than 115 municipalities with similar green building policies.