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Fort Collins Leads The Way In NoCo For Energy Efficient Building

Jessica Reeder
/
Creative Commons/Flickr
A new LEED-certified duplex being built by Habitat for Humanity in Denver, Colo.

Northern Colorado accounts for 13 percent of the state’s most energy- efficient buildings, according to data from the U.S. Green Building Council.

In Colorado there are 576 certified LEED (which stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) projects. 75 of those buildings are in Larimer and Weld counties.

Fort Collins has the lion’s share, says Northern Colorado Business Report publisher Jeff Nuttall.

"The Business Report calculated that Fort Collins has 14 square feet of certified LEED projects per resident of the city," Nuttall says. "That’s higher than any other city in Northern Colorado. There are 42 projects in Fort Collins totaling 2.1 million square feet."

Nuttall says Loveland comes in second, with 11 projects at 827,000 square feet.

One of the largest is Medical Center of the Rockies, which opened in 2007 and is certified as LEED gold. The University of Colorado Health hospital used environmentally friendly paint and carpet, and reused concrete and asphalt from the property, rather than sending it to the landfill.

Neither city comes close to catching Denver or Boulder in terms of square footage per capita though. Denver has 149 certified LEED projects, and Boulder has 45.

As part of the LEED program, buildings receive credit for factors such as reducing impacts on water and ecosystems, improving energy efficiency, recycling building materials, and reducing waste.

As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
Northern Colorado Business Report publisher Jeff Nuttall helped establish the business journal in 1995 and its expansion to a biweekly format in 1999. Jeff is involved with numerous community activities in Ft. Collins. He discusses regional business and economic issues impacting northern Colorado every other Thursday at 5:35 and 7:35 during KUNC’s Morning Edition.
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