Madison school district honored for building management

Friday, September 26, 2008

An article from The Capital Times:

Buildings magazine has named the Madison Metropolitan School District to its 2008 Who's Who in the Buildings Market — a list of the top 44 organizations in facilities management "that are getting things done in truly remarkable ways."

The district was the only Wisconsin organization to be picked. Others on the list include Marriott International, Target Corporation and Harvard University.

The write-up states that the district has developed a model K-12 energy conservation program that addresses design and maintenance best practices and that involves students and staff in these efforts.

The district calculates that it saves almost $750,000 annually in energy costs by using energy-efficient technology when making necessary maintenance repairs.

The new Paul Olson Elementary School is one of the first LEED-certified elementary schools in Wisconsin. It has a geothermal heating/cooling system and solar photovoltaic roof panels. That 25-kilowatt, 144-panel solar array benefited from $10,000 grant from Alliant Energy's Second Nature program.