Today’s Forecast

35º | Cloudy | 15% chance of sleet | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 4:39 p.m.

Green leaves backdropped by a blurry building.

Everything from a house to an entire city can be LEED-certified. | Photo by Arun Thomas from Pexels

Have you seen a local building described as “LEED-certified” and wondered what that means? We won’t leed you on — here’s everything you need to know.

What is LEED?

LEED — which stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” — is an international green building system developed by the US Green Building Council (UGBC). The certification encourages more efficient buildings and communities through all phases of development, from new builds to maintenance.

Intrigued? Learn more about UGBC’s mission.

What are the levels?

A project earns its LEED certification through points. Points are awarded through 20+ categories which address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health, and indoor environmental quality.

The more points a project earns, the higher its certification level. The four levels are:

Certified: 40-49 points
Silver: 50-59 points
Gold: 60-79 points
Platinum: 80+ points

Looking for local LEED-certified projects? Search the database to find certified projects, organizations, communities, and people.

Local LEEDs

The City of Madison owns 13 LEED-certified buildings:

Central Library | 201 W. Mifflin St.
Fire Station 1 | 316 W. Dayton St.
Fire Station 12 | 400 South Point Rd.
Fire Station 13 | 6350 Town Center Dr.
Fire Station 14 | 3201 Dairy Dr.
Fleet Services | 414 Nakoosa Tr.
Goodman Parks Maintenance Facility | 1402 Wingra Creek Pkwy.
Goodman South Library | 2222 S. Park St.
Sequoya Library | 513 S. Midvale Blvd.
Madison Municipal Building | 215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Monona Terrace Convention Center | 1 John Nolen Dr.
Midtown Police District | 4020 Mineral Point Road
Olbrich Gardens Learning Center | 3330 Atwood Ave.
Pinney Library | 516 Cottage Grove Rd.

Poll

How often do you go on vacation?

A. Once a year
B. 2-3 times a year
C. 4-5 times a year
D. 5+ times a year
E. What’s a vacation?

Congratulations to Tyler R. for winning a $50 gift card to our online shop, Six & Main. Did you know you could be our next winner? Answer this week’s survey questions for a chance to score a gift card!

Let us know here

Events

Today, March 27

Spring Flower Show | Monday, Mar. 27 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave., Madison | $8 | Breathe in the fresh smells of spring at this annual spring flower show.

Tuesday, March 28

“Paris Bound” reading | Tuesday, Mar. 28 | 6:30 p.m. | Arts + Literature Laboratory, 111. S. Livingston St., Madison | Free | The Free the Falconbridge Players will present a staged reading of “Paris Bound” by Philip Barry.
Trivia in the Forward Club, hosted by America’s Pub Quiz | Tuesday, Mar. 28 | 6-10 p.m. | Breese Stevens Field, 917 E. Mifflin St., Madison | Free | Grab a group of friends and test your knowledge during trivia night.*

Wednesday, March 29

Spring Break Exploration Station | Wednesday, Mar. 29 | 1-3 p.m. | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton St., Madison | Free with admission | Kids can create DIY marble mazes.

Thursday, March 30

Helen Sung | Thursday, Mar. 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Hamel Music Center, 740 University Ave., Madison | $15 | Acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, will perform with the Contemporary Jazz Ensemble and UW Jazz Orchestra.
Vom Bom and What Handsome Men | Thursday, Mar. 30 | 8 p.m. | Crucible, 3116 Commercial Ave., Madison | $5 | Madison modern rock band, What Handsome Men, pair up with hard rockers Vom Bom.

Plan ahead with our community events calendar.

100+ more events

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Weather

41º | AM Snow | 31% chance of precipitation

Civic

The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is this Thursday, March 30. In order for your ballot to be counted, the Clerk’s Office must receive your absentee ballot by Election Day on Tuesday, April 4.

Edu

Stellar Tech Girls is a summer camp program for girls ages 5-17 founded by a former rocket scientist. Located in Middleton, the camp focuses on coding, cybersecurity, and engineering to encourage more girls to enter STEM fields — sign up today. (Cap Times)

Community

The Badger Road drop-off site will soon close permanently due to the demolition and reconstruction of the salt and sand storage facilities. Find more information on other local drop-off sites in our spring cleaning guide. (WKOW)

Plan Ahead

Downtown Madison announced the return of Cars on State. On Saturday, June 3, State Street will be lined with vintage cars, and vehicle owners will be on-site to answer questions and show off their sweet rides.

Finance

Experts at The Ascent have sorted through hundreds of credit cards so far this year. And their top five bonus cards are (cue drumroll)... these five. *

History

Did you know? Margaret Pittman, Ph.D., was one of the first women to conduct research on vaccines against H. influenzae and the first woman to lead an NIH laboratory. Join the All of Us Research Program as they celebrate women’s contributions to health, research, and medicine during Women’s History Month.*

Seasonal

Has spring sprung in your home yet? If you’re looking to get outdoors, these wipeable tablecloths are just begging for some alfresco dining, and these garden and herb labels will get you in a planting mood. Plus, this viral birdfeeder practically brings the birds inside with you.

The Word

Maravilloso. Start using it in conversation in three weeks.*

Shop

The spring season is the perfect time to treat yourself. We’re eyeing this six-piece bonbon gift box by Marble & Steel Craft Chocolates. What’s even sweeter? These chocolates are made fresh without preservatives.

Business

Let’s Get down to (B Corp) business

Just Coffee partnered with the Boys and Girls Club on this limited flavor. | Photo by Just Coffee Cooperative

B Corp certification is to sustainable business what LEED certification is to green building.

Check out these Madison-based businesses that have a B Corporation certification due to their high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

Cricket Design Works | From websites to packaging, and everything in between — this design company will cover all of the bases to make your brand dazzle.

Tribe 9 Foods | This company behind RP’s Pasta, Yumbutter, Taste Republic, and Carla’s Pasta creates nutritious food and local jobs.

Just Coffee Cooperative | Worker-owned, Fair Trade, and organic — oh my. Pro tip: Spread the love, Just Coffee ships all over the lower 48.

Artisan Dental | Say cheese. This dentist’s office keeps Madison’s teeth clean while creating a beneficial impact for all of its stakeholders.

The Wrap

Today’s Edition By:
Ally

From the Editor

Despite this weekend’s record-breaking snowfall, consistently decent weather is nearly upon us, so I’m looking into getting a new bike. I’ve been putting it off because biking downtown is intimidating — I trust myself but I don’t trust all of the drivers navigating traffic and construction. Regardless, I think 2023 is the year of the lake loop for me. Maybe I’ll start with some short B Cycle rides and go from there.

Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback

* This content is paid advertising, or contains links to our Six & Main marketplace, or affiliate partners which we may receive a commission from. ^ This content is created by our content studio.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | SHOP