Rice Goes Green
Rice Management, Inc. is committed to becoming an exemplary steward of the environment. Conserving energy and environmental resources at our facilities is good business and good citizenship. Energy efficient facilities respect the environment while promoting resident comfort.
In addition to recycling at all of our facilities and to developing a leading-edge electronic medical record system that reduces paper use, we have a variety of green initiatives underway.
Heating Systems
As old heating systems are being replaced, we are working with Premier Construction and Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, to design and implement the most efficient heating and controls systems available today. For example, the new boiler system in our Two Rivers facility now saves more than 11,000 therms of gas annually. We are also installing an energy recovery ventilator at Lancaster Care Center, which captures the energy from the exhausted air and recycles it back into the building.
Green Roofs
Rice is exploring the use of shrubbery on our roofs to reduce solar heat gain in the summer to keep buildings cooler. Wisconsin winters pose a challenge, but we’re exploring a “solar solution.”
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)
As Rice builds new facilities and expands existing facilities, we are turning to ICFs. These are foam concrete forms that are reinforced with steel and filled with concrete. ICFs result in a system of walls that provide unmatched energy efficiency, strength and noise reduction.
Insulation Upgrades
As we upgrade old facilities, we’re performing building evaluations to see how we can better keep the energy we produce in the building to make our facilities more energy efficient and comfortable. Upgrades include items such as replacing windows with the most energy efficient models available and improving the insulation in the walls and ceilings.