When you are designing or building a new home, we encourage you to include energy- and resource-efficient construction products and practices. We also recommend enrolling in one or both of the new residential construction programs available in MGE's service territory.

The New Home Planner can help anyone planning to build an energy- and resource-efficient home in a climate similar to Madison, Wis. It is an overview of the many decisions made as you plan a new home.

New Home Planner [PDF - 2.5 MB]

House as a system
To ensure the construction of healthy, energy-efficient homes, the house should be thought of as a system. It contains many subsystems—walls, roof, windows, insulation, plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling and ventilation that interact with each other to form a complete system. A decision about one will impact the others.

The Green Built Home Program
The Green Built Home Program is a partnership between Wisconsin Environmental Initiative (WEI) and Madison Area Builders Association (MABA).

Green building is an umbrella term that means designing and building a home with reduced environmental impacts. A Green Built Home:

• Places a high priority on health, the environment and resource conservation. These priorities expand the classic building design concerns—economy, utility and durability.
• Addresses a number of new issues such as:
  • Reducing human exposure to noxious materials.
  • Conserving nonrenewable energy and scarce materials.
  • Minimizing lifecycle ecological impacts of energy and materials used.
  • Emphasizing the use of renewable energy and materials that are sustainably harvested.
  • Protecting and restoring local air, water, soil, flora and fauna

The Wisconsin ENERGY STAR® Home Program
The Wisconsin ENERGY STAR® Home Program is a Focus on Energy program. These homes feature:

• A safe interior environment. Back drafting of potentially dangerous flue gasses into the living space is virtually eliminated. Sealed or power-vented combustion equipment must be installed or the combustion equipment must be isolated from the living space.
• A healthy indoor environment. Air quality is controlled by a mechanical ventilation system.
• Durable construction. Construction details reduce moisture problems that cause deterioration of your home's structure and interior finishes.
• Greater comfort. The building envelope is tight to reduce air leaks. This eliminates drafts and keeps out dust, insects and most outside noise.
• Energy efficiency. Optimum insulation levels and equipment efficiencies save energy.

For more information
Apply for electricity or natural gas service for your new home under construction.

Related links
Wisconsin ENERGY STAR® Home
Wisconsin Environmental Initiative
Wisconsin Green Building Alliance