Dane County Recognizes SunPeak as 2023 Climate Champion

September 13, 2023 

SunPeak was recognized by Dane County's Office of Energy and Climate Change for its work as a Climate Champion in the Madison, Wisconsin area. 

On September 12, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi joined the Office of Energy and Climate Change (OECC) to recognize local entities leading on climate action through Dane County’s Climate Champions program. A part of Dane County’s Climate Action Plan is to recognize local entities that are making significant efforts to address climate change. It is the collective effort of groups like these that make Dane County’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50% county-wide by 2030 and being carbon-neutral by 2050 within reach.

This year, a total of 43 Climate Champions awards were presented. The Office of Energy & Climate Change recognizes achievements across ten categories, including:

• Building Energy Use - for entities with very energy-efficient buildings
• Building Design -for facilities still being planned or built that are projected to be very energy efficient
• Fleet Operations - for entities with a fleet powered by clean fuels
• Employee Commuting -for entities whose workforce commutes via bike, foot, transit, or telecommuting
• Water Saving Practices -for entities that have implemented practices to reduce water consumption
• Waste Diversion Practices -for entities that have strong waste diversion practices
• Sustainable Land Use Practices -for farms and land with strong sustainability practices
• Catalysts - for entities that help others take climate actions
• GHG Emissions -for entities that have reduced their carbon footprint
• Other - for entities that have taken actions that don’t fit into other categories

“This year’s variety of Climate Champion organizations demonstrates that the pace of change is accelerating across all sectors,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “Like Dane County itself, these organizations are leading by example. These Champions are an inspiration to their customers, their employees, and their peer organizations. This is how we spur climate action at scale.”

“The Climate Champions program is an important way for us to recognize how organizations across the county are accelerating climate action. Each of these Champions is helping us achieve our countywide climate action goals.” Parisi added.

Commercial solar company SunPeak was one of eleven organizations recognized as a catalyst to helping others make smart sustainability decisions. SunPeak has designed and installed more than 50 commercial solar PV systems in Dane County, with hundreds of additional projects throughout Wisconsin and a dozen other states. In addition to its work with customers, SunPeak's internal operations include many energy and environmentally-focused practices.

"Prioritizing sustainability in our operations is a natural extension of SunPeak’s mission, and it is also a fulfilling and rewarding endeavor for our team. Beyond our important work helping organizations reduce their carbon footprint and energy costs with solar PV, SunPeak employees enjoy having opportunities to share their knowledge and passion for renewable energy with students and community groups. Investments in our own energy efficient building renovation and rooftop solar system, establishing our recycling and composting programs, and prioritizing organizational efficiency and quality with our ISO 9001 certifications have reinforced our organizational goals. They have also contributed to making SunPeak an exceptional workplace. We all really enjoy this work and we're continually inspired by others, such as our fellow award winners, who are striving to make positive progress for the environment," said Krista Laubmeier, SunPeak's Marketing and Community Engagement Manager.

 Award recipients were honored at an outdoor celebration at Lussier Heritage Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The full list of 2023 Dane County Climate Champions can be found on the OECC website: https://daneclimateaction.org/ 

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Dane County Executive Joe Parisi established the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change in 2017 to further the county’s efforts to address climate change. As a division within the County Executive’s Office, the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change works with local governments, businesses, community groups and other stakeholders to identify innovative ways to reduce countywide greenhouse gas emissions, consistent with the County’s 2020 Climate Action Plan.