Energy Efficiency

A significant milestone has been reached for the City of Ann Arbor as 500 rental units now meet the city’s newly enforced green standards. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

Michigan Medicine’s Kahn Health Care Pavilion in Ann Arbor is now the largest healthcare facility in the world to earn LEED Platinum certification. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

The Ann Arbor Planning Commission has approved a rezoning and site plan for a new apartment complex on West Huron. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Ann Arbor is laying down the groundwork for its renewable energy utility in the city’s Bryant neighborhood near Ellsworth. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the story.

Ann Arbor’s Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) program for grid reliability and energy affordability in Ann Arbor is expected to launch next week. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

The City of Ann Arbor is teaming up with DTE to offer energy efficiency incentives for multifamily rental housing. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

The picture of our present-day energy use comes from a sort of all-of-the-above menu. We use oil, gas, natural gas, nuclear, wind and solar. Research is underway to determine if the use of hydrogen can be used to significant scale as part of the energy diet. Ann Arbor has become central to the research and discussion on that matter. On this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair was joined by the Associate Dean for Research at the University of Michigan College of Engineering, Todd Allen. They explored the environmental promise, uncertainties and controversies surrounding hydrogen energy.

Construction for Ann Arbor’s Fire Station 4, the city’s first carbon-neutral fire department building, is progressing, despite previous setbacks. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

As we continue the process of mapping out our energy future, there are a number of issues to address, from energy generation and storage to how our electric grids are developed, secured and controlled. State Senator Jeff Irwin is a proponent of virtual power plants as a part of the comprehensive solution. It would divert control of the grids away from the major, centralized utilities. The 15th District Democrat believes virtual power plants can give power to communities in determining their energy futures while saving ratepayers money. Learn more in his conversation with WEMU's David Fair.

Ann Arbor’s Office of Sustainability and Innovations is reporting over 80% compliance with the city’s Energy and Water Benchmarking Ordinance. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.