Madison Reporter

Madison College has been recognized as a 2024 Dane County Climate Champion for its efforts in reducing carbon emissions and promoting climate action. This accolade was awarded by Dane County Executive Melissa Agard and the Office of Energy and Climate Change (OECC), honoring Madison College alongside 31 local entities for their leadership in sustainability.

The award acknowledges the energy efficiency of three key facilities at Madison College: the Early Learning Campus, the Protective Services Building, and the Health Sciences Building. These buildings demonstrate low energy consumption through innovative technologies aimed at minimizing environmental impact.

Key features of these facilities include energy-efficient building materials, advanced energy management systems, state-of-the-art HVAC systems with energy recovery ventilation, ground-source geothermal heating and cooling, on-site solar electric generation, and energy storage technologies.

"We are proud to acknowledge our successes and remain dedicated to advancing the energy efficiency of our facilities," said Cody White, Budget Director at Madison College. “This award is a testament to the commitment of our amazing Facilities team, especially Wes Marquardt, Fred Brechlin, Lynn Dahlgren and Dr. Ken Walz."

The Truax Campus boasts a solar system that meets 100% of its main building’s energy needs during sunny periods with over 5,700 solar panels across 125,000 square feet of rooftop space. The Goodman South campus also contributes with a solar system providing 25% of its annual electricity consumption.

"Madison College is a national leader in clean energy education,” said instructor Ken Walz. “By championing advanced energy technology for our buildings, the college is shrinking our environmental footprint while providing real-world examples for our students to study and learn from.”

In alignment with the Dane County Climate Action Plan's goals to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Madison College plans further advancements including installing solar PV and battery storage at certain buildings in spring 2025.

Additionally, Madison College will share its expertise as a Department of Energy Industrial Energy Training and Assessment Center to assist small and mid-sized businesses in Wisconsin with reducing energy costs.