NMU 'Builds Green'

Northern has registered with the U.S. Green Building Council and will seek “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED ) certification for all future capital projects, beginning with the Magers Hall renovation.

According to its Web site, the U.S. Green Building Council is a “coalition working to promote buildings that maximize economic and environmental performance.” Its 4,000 members include local, state and federal governments; product manufacturers; contractors; builders; utilities; and educational institutions.

The LEED Green Building Rating System developed by the council’s membership is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high performance, sustainable buildings. Kathy Richards (Engineering & Planning) said the Michigan Department of Management and Budget now requires that all state-supported major capital outlay projects be designed and constructed in accordance with the LEED system. They must score enough points to meet minimum ‘LEED Certified’ status.

“As a result of this state requirement, NMU has decided to have all of its capital projects comply with this green building initiative – even those that are strictly university funded,” Richards said. “The potential benefits we see are energy savings, resource conservation, waste reduction, environmental sensitivity, marketing promotion and keeping consistent with our ‘Northern Naturally’ motto.”

Research cited by the U.S. Green Building Council states that buildings account for 36 percent of total energy use and 65 percent of electricity consumption in the United States . They are also responsible for nearly one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions, raw materials use and waste output.

The USGBC states that breakthroughs in science, technology and operations have made it easier to “build green” and reap several environmental and economic benefits. These include improved air and water quality; enhanced and protected ecosystems and biodiversity; reduced operating costs; optimized life-cycle economic performance; enhanced comfort and health; and improved employee productivity and satisfaction.

Magers Hall will be the first NMU project to go through the LEED certification process. The facility will be converted back to a residence hall. After completing the final design review stage, Richards said the goal is to issue the plans for bids in October. Construction is scheduled to begin in January.