Going Green

Conan Smith, chairman of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, shows off the LEED Silver award the county won for its new 14A-1 District Court. County officials were presented with the award at Wednesday's county board meeting, recognizing the new facility for its energy efficiency and environmental design. The certification comes from the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable building design and construction. Read the story here.

Net Zero

Ann Arbor resident Matt Grocoff plans to make his 110-year-old home on South Seventh Street produce more energy than it uses by installing state-of-the-art solar panels in the next month. Grocoff says his home will be the oldest "net zero" home in the country, and the first ever in a historic district. On Friday, he had John Rioux, a contractor from Arbor Spray Foam Insulation, apply a thick foam insulation inside the attic as part of several energy efficiency upgrades being made to the home. Read the story here.