The greenest building in the U.S isn’t a fancy hotel, apartment complex, or office building. It’s a monastery. The U.S. Green Building Council recently awarded the Benedictine Women of Madison’s Holy Wisdom Monastery a Platinum LEED rating with 63 out 69 possible points–the most points of any certified building in the country.
The Sisters at the 30,000 foot, two-story monastery in Middleton, Wisconsin never intended to set a LEED record. Apparently, they have always prized sustainability–just take a look at their restoration of 95 acres of farmland to prairie and their project to dredge a glacial lake that had been previously been filled with silt.
Of course, the monastery still had to work hard to set the record. Some of the ultra-green features in the Hoffman LLC-designed building include a geothermal heating and cooling system, a photovoltaic system on the Chapel roof, windows with special glazing that allow for light and climate control, and the restoration and reuse of old pipe organs and bells. Almost 100% of the 60,000-square-foot old Benedictine House was also recycled or reused in the building process. Not bad for a bunch of Sisters with a dream.
This article courtesy of FastCompany.com, written by Ariel Schwartz.
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Or ask the manufacturing workers in the Midwest who, because their companies successfully transitioned into clean energy manufacturing, escaped the job loss that befell millions of their brethren over the past decade. In Ohio, a business that once manufactured packaging materials now produces harvesters that transform algae into fuels and plastics. Another that produced large-diameter bolts for construction projects is now making bolts for wind turbines. Not only do these jobs provide the income and stability that Americans want, but they also contribute to U.S. energy independence and fight global climate change.
Energy and Environmental Design program. The city is also conducting energy audits of 108 municipal buildings to determine which upgrades will have the biggest energy impact. Mission Verde’s goal is to have carbon-neutral homes by 2030.