Buildings

Madison's buildings are some of the most recognizable, sizable, and important infrastructure in our community. They serve as the essential locations where people live, work, and play. Due to their importance and constant use, buildings also significantly impact our local and global environments. Growing the sustainability of Madison's buildings means maintaining the affordability of housing in our community, decreasing the carbon and air pollution that comes from powering our buildings, and ensuring the buildings themselves and the landscapes surrounding them are designed and maintained in ways that improve our community's resilience to climate change impacts like increased rainfall and temperatures. 

There are a number of programs and initiatives to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon pollution from residential and commercial buildings as well as City facilities.

Efficiency Programs for Residential Buildings

There are several programs available to provide low and no cost upgrades to single and multifamily homes in Madison that save energy, reduce utility bills, and improve home comfort and safety. Learn more about assistance, incentives, and financing available through the Efficiency Navigator Program, Project Home, and Focus on Energy. 

Building Energy Savings Program

The Building Energy Savings Program aims to improve energy efficiency in large commercial buildings community-wide through energy benchmarking and tune-ups. Under the new code, non-residential commercial buildings 25,000 square feet and larger are required to benchmark energy use annually via EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. Non-residential commercial buildings 50,000 square feet and larger are also required to complete a building tune-up every four years. Learn more about the program. 

Energy Efficient City Facilities

Learn more about actions the City of Madison is taking to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our own facilities. We have been benchmarking and reporting all building energy performance since 2015, and we share this information on our Energy Dashboard.

Focus on Energy

Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s state-wide energy efficiency and renewable resource program, provides resources and financial incentives to help individuals, businesses, municipalities, and non-profits implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Visit Focus on Energy's website to learn more about the many programs and products they offer.