Annual Report
2023
U.S. Green Building Council
of West Michigan
Presenting Keynote Speaker,
Dr. Brandy Brown
Chief Innovation Officer of
Walker-Miller Energy Services
Presenting Guest Speaker,
Alison Waske Sutter
Sustainability Manager for
the City of Grand Rapids
A Message from the Executive Director
dear friends, members, and supporters,
What a monumental year of climate investment! With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the recent passing of landmark energy bills by the State of Michigan, there has been significant advancement toward a clean energy future. Michigan is “one of the top 5 states for clean energy commitments, number two in the country in drawing down federal funding for climate and clean energy, and number one in the Midwest for clean energy jobs, clean energy growing twice as fast as the overall economy.” Non energy benefits include investment in human health and long overdue environmental justice for communities most impacted by a changing climate.
These investments by the federal government, concrete action from the state, and the collaboration inside our community has energized me like never before. The U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan (USGBM-WM) works to educate and advocate for sustainable, transformational design and operation of buildings and transportation. In 2023 our focus included student education, community health, and vitality. Through our webinars, in person events and committees of industry experts we worked to guide new and existing programs and tools that will accomplish these goals.
Looking towards my 9th year as Executive Director, I am confident we will see significant progress and I am eternally honored to be working with our members, and alongside our community on these efforts.
Happy New Year!
In Partnership,
Cheri Holman
Executive Director
Going into our 20th year
usgbc west michigan is your advocate to promote
community vibrancy
Our mission is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, in a way that improves the quality of life in West Michigan. The organization accomplishes its mission through education, advocacy, programs and competitions including the Grand Rapids 2030 District, Michigan Battle of the Buildings, the Energy Assistance Program, Drawdown Michigan, and our Green Schools Program.
it's all in the numbers
Our Programs & Initiatives
Grand Rapids 2030 District
The Grand Rapids 2030 District is a strategic initiative of USGBC West Michigan. The program is a public-private partnership committed to creating high-performing buildings and smart mobility options that:
- Drawdown carbon in Grand Rapids' built environment
- Increase marketability and profitability for property owners
- Strengthen the greater community's vibrancy
Michigan Battle of the Buildings
The Michigan Battle of the Buildings is an awards and recognition program for energy use reduction open to all Michigan area commercial, industrial & multi-family buildings. The program is a way to encourage energy-efficient practices in buildings across the state and to instill a spirit of friendly competition among the area’s building owners and operators. This is a free program and registration period is open all-year round.
E.H.Zero Initiative
The City of Grand Rapids, U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan and Urban Core Collective are launching the Grand Rapids Building Policies and Programs for Equitable, Healthy & Zero Carbon Buildings (E.H.Zero). Transforming the way buildings and homes are designed, built, and operated is one of the most important ways a city can support affordable housing, ensure clean healthy air in our communities and increase our resilience to the negative impacts of a changing climate. E.H.Zero will co-create with community policies and programs to equitably decarbonize Grand Rapids residential and commercial buildings and present them to Commission for consideration and hopeful adoption.
Green Schools
Green Schools is a program of USGBC West Michigan that works together with the community to engage students, teachers, and parents in service-learning projects across West Michigan. Our goal is to help create healthy and sustainable learning environments for future generations, specifically. Because of this, in 2019 we rolled out a robust auditing project with the help of experienced green building professionals as mentors. These mentors are committed to guiding students through the audit process and learning key sustainability metrics such as return on investment and net present value.
773K
Operating Budget of USGBC West
Michigan in 2023
32K
Website views in 2023
25K
All time YouTube viewers and Learners
9.3%
Increase in YouTube subscribers
5
School related visits
1
Scholarship Fund for students to obtain their
LEED GA through our Green Schools Program
8
Student tickets provided for the Michigan Energy Summit
through grant contributions by Trane Technologies
Michigan Battle of the Buildings
The Michigan Battle of the Buildings is an awards and recognition program for energy use reduction open to all Michigan area commercial, industrial & multi-family buildings. The program is a way to encourage energy-efficient practices in buildings across the state and to instill a spirit of friendly competition among the area’s building owners and operators. There is no cost to enter the competition.
At our 2024 Michigan Energy Summit we will be celebrating 10 years of Michigan Battle of the Buildings and all of our wonderful awardees over the years, their achievements, and the energy savings!
$2.9
million
in energy savings back into the
local economy
269
million
square footage competed in the
2022 competition
12K
metric tons of CO2e avoided
92
first place awardees
$93
million
in energy savings back into the
local economy
500K
metric tons of CO2e avoided
2030 District Network
The 2030 Districts Network was established to lead the effort to help newly forming Districts and to coordinate existing District resources and collaborations in cities across the United States. The Network currently has 24 Established districts, with a total of 619 million square feet committed to Carbon Drawdown across the board. There are currently three 2030 Districts in the State of Michigan.
Our objective is for 2030 District members and partners to have equal access to the support and resources needed to reduce emissions in entire built environment by 50-65% by 2030 and reach zero emissions by 2040.
Grand Rapids 2030 District
The Grand Rapids 2030 District is a public-private partnership committed to creating high-performing buildings and smart mobility options that:
- Drawdown carbon in Grand Rapids’ built environment
- Increase marketability and profitability for property owners
- Strengthen the greater community’s vibrancy
We do this through education, advocacy, and providing tools and resources to our surrounding community. Between the years 2022 and 2023 the Grand
Rapids 2030 District has seen an 11.31% increase in buildings participating in the district. For more information or to learn how you can join click here.
305
Buildings participating in the
Grand Rapids 2030 District
20.5
million
Square Feet Committed to Carbon Drawdown in the City of Grand Rapids via the Grand Rapids 2030 District
The built environment is responsible for about 42% of annual global CO2 emissions (Architecture 2030).
Grand Rapids, Michigan
2019 - Inventory of Community-Wide and Government Operations Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Our Staff
12
Office plants
2,098.75
Coffees enjoyed
5
Office pets
Board of Directors
Congratulations to our 2023 Leadership Awardees!
The USGBC-WM Leadership Awards promote outstanding green buildings, programs, and efforts by recognizing projects, organizations, and people who have made extraordinary contributions to achieving healthy, high-performing green buildings across the state of Michigan.
2030 Leadership Award
George Heartwell
Legacy Award
Gayle DeBruyn
Green Schools Champion Award
Avril Wiers
Certified Green Building Award - Commercial
Perrigo - North American Headquarters
Certified Green Building Award - Multifamily
The Grand Rapids Housing Commission - Antoine Supportive Housing
Certified Green Building Award - Education
West Ottawa Public Schools - 9 EnergyStar Certified Buildings
The Innovative Project Award is designed to honor projects that break the mold of standard building construction, design, and operations. The projects' innovation and astute practices reflect the goals of USGBC West Michigan’s programs. This year we received nine wonderful submissions and voted for the top three.
Innovative Project Award - 1st Place
John Ball Zoo - Pygmy Hippo Habitat Project
Innovative Project Award - 2nd Place
Ford Field UV Light System Study
Innovative Project Award - 3rd Place
Lakeside Net-Zero Passive House
Our Resources
Find resources to help guide you through zero-carbon building practices. Click on the menu below to select your category of interest or simply scroll through the page to navigate.
For businesses big and small, there are exciting new funding opportunities for energy efficiency and carbon reduction projects. Here at USGBC West Michigan, we want you to be aware of the opportunities as they become available!
Looking to make a difference in the community? Find local listings of green jobs in the area. Companies partner with us to get passionate professionals to join their teams. Do you have a green job to post? We will post your job at no cost to you. Contact our team!
Energy Benchmarking Services brought to you as a benefit of membership in the Grand Rapids 2030 District.
An energy audit is an analysis of a building that indicates how you can reduce energy consumption and save energy costs. Its insight can lead to significant savings on your business's utility bill and O&M.
Find past webinars, event recordings, interviews with local building owners and partners, information about our programs, and more!
Join us
USGBC West Michigan is able to provide education and connections to equitable carbon & energy solutions, smart transportation initiatives, and healthy building incentives through the support of partners, sponsors, and members like you.
thank you to our visionary supporters
