Planning EnergySmart Schools
Energy-efficient, high-performance schools are healthy learning environments that combine good lighting, comfort, acoustics, and air quality. These schools also provide a platform for curricula about science and the environment. And they can save a school district thousands of dollars in operating costs annually – funds that can be re-directed to education resources.
Building an energy-efficient school depends on “whole building” systems design, which requires more planning than for most conventional schools. Whole building design weighs a wide range of options to find optimal design solutions that meet the defined project goals and fit the school's size, functions, and climate zone.
The process involves a multidisciplinary team of specialists and stakeholders who, ideally, begin collaborating early in the project. The sooner energy-efficient considerations are included in the design, the more options are open for meeting a school's energy-saving goals. Solutions may incorporate such elements as good site design, daylighting, building controls, solar and other on-site renewable energy options, water conservation strategies, and energy-saving operations and maintenance practices.
Complex trade-offs are made in the design process, by evaluating ways in which a higher investment in one element may decrease the costs of other elements. Using a well-insulated and tight building envelope, for example, may enable the school to save money by buying a smaller HVAC system, provided that good inside air quality is maintained. Similarly, low-e windows that increase daylighting may decrease the need for electrical wiring, lighting fixtures, and ballasts.
Planning Steps
- Conduct a needs assessment and form an advisory group
- Identify benchmarks
- Set and prioritize your broad project goals
- Develop a preliminary budget and financing options
- Make the case with the school board and other important community groups, such as the PTA, banks, and the utility company
- Select the project design group
Assess needs
First, conduct a needs assessment to estimate roughly what the new facility will require in space and functions. Then, consider forming an advisory group from your school and school district, including teachers, facilities management, and other key functions. Also consider including people from the local community and perhaps your state energy office who share your interest in energy efficiency and can help to define and champion the project.
Identify benchmarks
With the help of the advisory group, look for energy-efficient schools similar to your project or in your climate zone that can serve as models or “benchmarks” for your project. Start with the case studies and other resources found under Information Resources. Also review design criteria for programs such as LEED through the U.S. Green Building Council, and the Collaborative of High Performance Schools program. This research will give you ideas on the range of possibilities for your project.
Set and prioritize your broad goals
Typically, goals include minimizing consumption of purchased energy and other resources such as water, while also ensuring healthful air quality and comfort. Some districts also define goals for use of non-toxic, recycled, or locally sourced materials; onsite power generation from renewable sources; and purchase of “green” energy. In addition, some districts define educational goals related to their new facilities, including ways to incorporate the features and performance of their energy-efficient facility into curricula.
Develop a preliminary budget and financing options
With help from your advisory group, contact representatives at your benchmark schools to get a sense of project costs, including design, construction, and operations. Ask what kinds of financing packages they recommend. Diverse options are available to finance the designing and building of an energy-efficient school. See Financing for an overview of energy-performance contracting, equipment leasing, state incentives for energy efficiency, and other financing considerations.
Make the case
Gain the support of your community through presentations to your school board and other key groups, such as the PTA, banks, and your utility company. Championing the cause of energy efficiency at a school requires educating various decision makers and bringing together disparate interests. While an increasing number of energy-efficient schools are being built across the U.S., some people still have misperceptions about them, especially regarding the cost of construction. See Key Points for a Winning Argument below.
Select the project design team
A multidisciplinary project design team, with input from your advisory group, leads school design and construction efforts. Key team members include architects, engineers, and other specialists. If you will be using a commissioning agent to evaluate performance once the school is built, it is best to include the agent on the design team early on. Some school districts also employ a project manager to oversee the entire design and construction process and to coordinate the selection and management of the project design team.
When you interview design professionals for your project, ask about specific expertise and experience in integrating energy and environmental considerations into school designs, and in working collaboratively on whole building design.
Based on the broad goals you and your advisory group set for the facility, the project design team will define specific performance goals and measures, and then develop the design guidelines and technical specifications for all significant building systems and elements. Simulations, models, and life-cycle cost analysis are applied throughout the design process. The design is then translated into contract documents that allow the facility to be priced, permitted, and constructed.
Key Points for a Winning Argument
- Constructing a high-performance school does not have to cost more than a conventionally built school. With the right planning, an energy-efficient school should cost no more than a conventionally built one and will pay for itself in substantially lower operational costs. Some features even allow for a decrease in initial energy-related costs. A well-insulated and tight building envelope, for example, requires a smaller HVAC system. Low-emissivity windows for daylighting may reduce electrical wiring and lighting fixtures.
- Schools spend more on energy than any other expense except personnel. Energy costs are a significant item in a school's operating budget, yet many administrators are unaware of their monthly utility expenditures. The costs can be high, but they are an expense that a school can actually control.
- High-performance schools, if operated and maintained properly, can significantly lower a school district's operating costs. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the nation's schools spend an average of $175 per student per year on energy costs. For a conventionally built school with 4,000 students, that translates into $700,000 annually. Because of its design and operation, an EnergySmart school uses 30% less energy. At a 4,000-student school, costs would fall to an average of $122 per student, or $488,000 annually—a savings of $212,000 a year.
- Energy costs are one of the few expenses a school can reduce without sacrificing educational quality. More efficient energy operations allow a school to cut costs, and the resulting savings can be put toward hiring another teacher or upgrading the computer lab.
- Schools are central to the communities they serve and should reflect community values. There is a growing awareness in the U.S. about the effects of global warming and the need for energy conservation. As vital community centers, schools are in a position to serve as demonstration models of energy efficiency. In addition, schools with onsite renewable energy sources can play an important role during times of natural or manmade disasters.
- Schools are the best place to teach the nation's children about energy conservation. High-performance schools can make many of their components part of the educational experience. At some schools, the building's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems are encased in glass so that students can learn about their operation. The students can even give tours to visitors, explaining the function of each energy-efficient feature.