Your neighborhood library isn’t just a place for books—it can also be a model for healthier, more energy-efficient buildings. Through the Libraries Inspiring Healthy Buildings (LIHB) project, Metropolitan Energy Center is partnering with Kansas City Public Library to improve comfort, air quality, and energy savings at the Trails West and Ruiz branches.
By weatherizing these libraries and adding energy-efficient upgrades, we’re lowering costs, reducing pollution, and creating safer, healthier spaces for everyone who walks through the doors.
The project also includes free workshops and resources so patrons can learn simple ways to save energy at home—and how to tap into available rebates and funding.
Why it Matters
What’s next
Phase 1 of the project brought in a $400,000 prize to plan the upgrades. We’re now working toward full implementation and a vision where every library branch can serve as a blueprint for healthier, more sustainable buildings across Kansas City.
“MEC is only effective toward real change when we defer to our region’s varied communities—their experiences of how energy affects their lives give us fuel to drive progress together.”
-MEC Executive Director Kelly Gilbert