International Green Building Challenge 1998 — Durant Road Middle School

Daylighting is the key element in the Durant School design. It reduces energy use for lighting, and reduces cooling load. It also appears to have increased productivity among students, decreased absenteeism, and improvements in student test scores when compared to students in other schools in the County.

• Specific steps to reduce energy requirements include: South-facing and north-facing roof monitors provide daylighting to classrooms, cafeteria, gymnasiums, other areas.
• There is a 30% overall increase in glazing for daylighting. There is an absence of glazing on the east and west sides.
• The building is oriented lengthwise on an east/west axis to optimize placement of the north and south facing daylighting monitors and to reduce heat gain.
• The roof is equipped with a radiant barrier that reflects over 90% of the radiant heat.
• There is low-e glazing throughout, including the roof monitors.
• High-efficiency lighting equipment and controls are used, including motion sensors and light level sensors to automatically adjust conventional fluorescent lighting as needed.
• An energy management system is installed. The ventilation system tailors fresh air circulation to occupancy of the building instead of constant operation, which is typical of school buildings.
• The reduced cooling load allowed use of a 370 ton chiller instead of the 400 ton chiller typically needed for a similar school.

In a typical new school building in North Carolina, lighting accounts for approximately one-quarter of the total energy load. Heating is minimal (there are 3514 heating degree days and 1394 cooling degree days). Ventilation is the largest energy load, largely due to high state-mandated requirements for fresh air.

At the Durant Middle School, total reduction in energy use for lighting, cooling, heating, and ventilation is between 50-60%. Reductions in energy consumption reduce negative impacts of power plants on the environment, including nuclear waste disposal, environmental effects of coal production, and air pollution caused by coal combustion.