Originally published: February 17, 2017 | Last updated: May 4, 2026
New RenewAire Facility Achieves LEED Gold Certification
Sustainability drives every decision we make. Consequently, our team prioritized environmental health when establishing our Waunakee, WI, headquarters. After we moved into this 111,000-square-foot space to meet the rising demand for our energy recovery ventilators (ERVs), our efforts earned LEED Gold certification.
This milestone improved upon our previous facility’s LEED Silver status. Furthermore, the site earned three Green Globes. At the time of certification, RenewAire managed one of the few commercial buildings globally to hold dual certifications from these rigorous rating systems.
How We Achieved Sustainable Manufacturing
We secured LEED Gold by embedding sustainable practices into the facility’s daily operations. Specifically, our team followed USGBC standards for manufacturing projects to reach these goals:
Renewable Energy: We power the building using 100% wind-generated electricity.
Energy Performance: A tight building envelope and a heavily insulated roof help us reduce energy use by 34%.
Water Conservation: We decreased indoor water consumption by 40% through high-efficiency fixtures.
Waste Management: Our contractors recycled 95% of construction waste during the building’s renovation.
Natural Lighting: We utilize LED bulbs along with skylights and solar tubes to brighten the space naturally.
Our “Living Laboratory” for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
We use our own technology to make this site a live demo of healthy indoor air quality (IAQ). For instance, by installing RenewAire ERVs, we maintain ventilation rates well above standard building codes. Additionally, our team configured certain spaces to use 100% outdoor air. This practice supports our Climate Champion philosophy by protecting occupant health.
A Proven Model for Energy Efficiency
Our Waunakee site acts as a “living laboratory”. It illustrates how energy recovery ventilation directly helps reach green manufacturing goals. Across our various production sites, we show that businesses can save energy even while tripling outdoor-air flow. By operating our campuses this way, we prove that clean air and high-performance manufacturing can thrive together.
Frequently Asked Questions: LEED Gold Certification
What is LEED Gold certification?
LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold is the second-highest tier of the world’s most widely used green building rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). To achieve Gold status, a project must earn a high concentration of points across critical sustainability categories, including carbon reduction, energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable materials, and indoor environmental quality (IEQ).
Rather than just designing green technology for others, RenewAire actively practices these principles. We validated this commitment by earning LEED® Gold certification at our 111,000-square-foot Waunakee, WI headquarters, utilizing our own energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) to drastically reduce thermal loads while optimizing indoor air quality (IAQ).
How does a manufacturing facility achieve these sustainability benchmarks?
A manufacturing facility achieves LEED Gold status by embedding high-performance building practices directly into its physical infrastructure and daily operations. At RenewAire, we met these rigorous standards by focusing on specific environmental milestones at our facility:
100% Renewable Power: Operating our production facility entirely on wind-generated electricity.
Energy Optimization: Lowering baseline energy consumption by 34% through a tight building envelope, advanced LED lighting, and natural skylights.
Water Conservation: Decreasing indoor water consumption by 40% using high-efficiency fixtures.
- Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): Using our own ERV technology to turn our facility into a live demo of healthy IAQ. By installing RenewAire ERVs, we maintain ventilation rates well above standard building codes and configure certain spaces to use 100% outdoor air to protect occupant health.
How does RenewAire keep dual certifications?
We maintain our elite environmental standing by continuously adhering to the rigorous, multi-layered standards of both the USGBC (LEED) and the Green Building Initiative (Green Globes). By relying on sustainable industry manufacturing practices, utilizing our own energy-saving HVAC technology, and sourcing 100% wind power, we ensure our facilities constantly operate at peak efficiency rather than just meeting baseline building codes.