First carbon-neutral building
The U.S. Green Building Council certified the world's first carbon-neutral building.
On October 18, the U.S. Green Building Council certified the world's first carbon-neutral building. It is "the greenest building ever built," according to the organization's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ranking system.
The 12,000 square foot structure produces 15% more energy than it consumes, thanks to its geothermal heating system and the 39.4 kilowatt photovoltaic solar array on its roof. Its heating and ventilation system is built around "earth tubes" that heat or cool air underground before it is sent into the building. The building also incorporates more conventional energy-saving features, such as maximizing insulation and capturing daylight and natural breezes.
The new structure houses the Aldo Leopold Foundation, which sits on the 80 acres of "worn-out farmland" immortalized in Leopold's landmark conservation book, A Sand County Almanac. The building's columns and beams originate from native trees that Leopold and his family planted to improve their parcel of Wisconsin land.
