MADISON, Wis. -- Students at Edgewood College are living the green life.

Dominican Hall, the newest residence hall on campus, has been awarded LEED-built Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

LEED stands for leadership in energy and environmental design. It is a premier rating system for the most energy-efficient buildings, WISC-TV reported.

At Dominican Hall, 30 percent of materials were recycled and it features solar panels on the roof.

"There are awards, there are plaques and we're all very proud of that, but we look for the day when this is the way everything is done," said Rich Lynch from Findorff & Sons.

"It's one thing to have a broad goal, to say you're going to meet the Kyoto Protocol or to say that you're going to reduce carbon emissions by 100,000 tons," said Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. "It's quite another thing to say specifically how you're going to get there and this is a tremendous contribution to actually getting there."

The energy-efficient and high-performing building hall was opened for the first time in August 2007 and is home to nearly 200 students.

Dominican Hall is the first dorm in the state to be LEED-certified.