Dane County Executive Parisi Joins Business Leaders to Open New Clean, Green Energy Manufacturing Facility
November 03, 2017
Ariana Vruwink 608-283-1477
County Executive
Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi joined President of RenewAire Chuck Gates to open a new RenewAire manufacturing facility in the Waunakee Business Park. RenewAire’s Energy Recovery Ventilation systems provide fresh air and remove excess carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and other gaseous pollutants from the air of homes and businesses, saving energy and improving air quality. The grand opening of this new manufacturing facility highlights Dane County’s growing economy and efforts to become a clean, green energy leader.
“RenewAire is a great example of the economic development benefits associated with clean energy technologies,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “Green energy jobs are good for the economy and the environment.”
Dane County is leading the state in job growth. While Dane County has nine percent of the state’s population, it accounted for 56 percent of Wisconsin’s job growth, adding 43,000 jobs between 2001 and 2015. Like other clean energy and conservation based businesses, RenewAire has been growing much faster than the economy. The company grew every year during the Great Recession and has grown well over 60 percent in the past three years and now has over 100 employees.
“From our startup as a solar energy company operating out of a garage to our move into this state of the art sustainable 111,000-square-foot building, our mission has always been crystal clear – to make a positive difference for the planet and people. It is extremely gratifying to find ourselves making a real difference, reducing C02 emissions dramatically and improving human health, while at the same time growing a robust business and helping build a strong local economy.”
RenewAire chose to retrofit an existing, vacant building in the Waunakee Business Park rather than construct a new building on a “green field” site and pave over agricultural land. The 111,000-square-foot manufacturing facility is more than double the size of the company’s previous building and is anticipated to obtain LEED Gold and Green Globes certifications, which remains to be fairly unusual for a manufacturing operation. 100 percent of the company’s electricity will come from wheeled wind power. The move is in response to RenewAire’s growing market demand.
RenewAire provides enhanced indoor air quality with ventilation systems that deliver greater comfort, healthier living/working conditions, and superior energy efficiency to homes and businesses. Unlike ordinary systems, RenewAire handles both exhaust and fresh airstreams while also moderating temperature extremes and humidity both in the summer and winter. These types of clean, green energy efforts are what the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change is hoping other businesses, local governments, and utilities will take on to help reduce carbon emissions and confront climate change.
“We applaud RenewAire and its founders for helping to make Dane County a leader in the transition to a clean energy economy,” said Keith Reopelle, Director of the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change.
County Executive Parisi created the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change as a new division of the Office of the County Executive in his 2017 budget. Keith Reopelle is the Office’s first director and is responsible for overseeing the Dane County Climate Change Council’s work and progression. The council is made up of local government officials, business leaders, representatives of the University of Wisconsin, local utilities, community groups, and environmental advocates. The council members are currently working on developing a climate action plan that will chart out steps individuals, businesses, and communities across the county can take to reduce carbon emissions.