Teachers and Parents

Teachers and parents want to students to have the best education possible.  They know how hard it can be for students to concentrate in hot, stuffy, glare-filled, noisy classrooms.  Energy-efficient design and techniques such as a tight building envelope, high-efficiency HVAC, daylighting, and low-emissivity windows can enhance the classroom environment substantially and save on utility bills.  Some districts even report higher levels of teacher and staff satisfaction and retention as well as academic enrichment.

High-performance schools are “living laboratories”
There is probably no better place for children to learn about saving energy than a high-performance school. Some of these schools have their heating and cooling systems encased in glass so students can see and monitor them. Others blend energy conservation measures into science and math curriculums so students learn more about the living laboratories they attend every day. For example, students can measure the impacts of daylighting in reducing artificial lighting use. Input from teachers early in the design process helps to ensure that energy-efficient features are incorporated in a way that optimizes learning value.