Environment

In 2009 National Life Group received Silver Certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Existing Building (LEED-EB) program, sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, the nation’s leading non-profit authority for green buildings. National Life is the largest (543,992 s.f.) and oldest (1960) building in Vermont to receive LEED certification of any kind and the second existing commercial building in Vermont to receive a silver LEED-EB certification.

An array of 418 rooftop solar panels now helps power National Life’s Montpelier headquarters. The installation is just one part of the company’s campaign to embrace energy efficiency and renewable energy, to encourage recycling and alternate transportation, and lead the way toward a sustainable society.

National Life recently updated 6,026 light fixtures to High Performance T8 lighting systems, which is expected to cut our annual energy use by 337,700 kWh.

Our intensive recycling program continues to grow. We recycle over 72 percent of our waste. We created a program that sends the company’s shredded paper to a local farm, where it is mixed with sawdust and used as bedding for 700 milking cows.

National Life offers incentives for those who walk, bike, carpool, or take the bus to work. In 2009 over 23 percent of employees participated in the program.

In 2009 we expanded our initiatives to tap the sun to cut our energy demand. The installation of a solar thermal system supplies over 50 percent of the hot water used in our Montpelier headquarters.

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