ALEXANDRIA, Va.—International development and construction firm Skanska has finished up its work on the new Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, the first net zero-ready school for the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) system, located just across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital.

The 150,000-square-foot school is located on the same site as a previously existing 65,000-square-foot school. The new Douglas MacArthur Elementary School will be home to students ranging from pre-K to 5th grade.

Inside, Douglas MacArthur Elementary School hosts art and music rooms as well as modern classrooms. The exterior features newly laid turf fields, basketball courts, playgrounds as well as a student drop-off area. Furthermore, locating the school’s parking underground increases the amount of recreational area on the outside—a premium in the DMV—while simultaneously fashioning even more green space to surround the new building.

The net-zero energy model means that the power generated for the school itself will be matched by the energy actually used by the facility. These types of schools have been shown to consume significantly less energy as opposed to those that rely on a more traditional power-needs structure.

Among the net-zero design features being utilized at Douglas MacArthur Elementary School are a geothermal system beneath the artificial athletic field turn, which uses the earth’s natural ability to cool or heat a building. Additionally, the school’s bathrooms will utilize low-flush toilets and low-output sinks. The HVAC system takes advantage of natural sunlight and ventilation to assist with airflow and temperature regulation as well.

Skanska worked at Douglas MacArthur Elementary School in association with architect of record DLR Group to realize the educational project.

“Skanska is a leader in sustainable construction, and it is our privilege to partner with ACPS to deliver this modern and energy efficient building to the Alexandria community,” Dale Kopnitsky, general manager and executive vice president responsible for Skanska’s Washington, D.C., building operations, said of the project. “The impact of this project will not only provide operational cost savings to the school district but create a healthier space for students to learn and thrive.”

Skanska’s other educational construction projects in the greater Washington, D.C., area include George Mason University’s Life Sciences and Engineering Building in Prince William County. The company has also built VHC Health’s Outpatient Pavilion in Arlington; 17xM, an 11-story, 334,000-square-foot office building in Washington; OZMA, a 12-story, mixed-use development with 275 luxury apartments in Washington; 3901 Fairfax, a 190,000-square-foot nine-story office building in Arlington; and Heming, a 28-story, 410-unit luxury apartment building in Tysons.

Skanska continues to innovate in terms of sustainable construction and development. The firm was founded more than 135 years ago, and operates in Scandinavia, greater Europe and the United States. Their U.S. operations are headquartered in New York, and the firm hosts 29 total offices around the country.

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Achieving net zero is not an easy feat. The current state of educational institutions is more aptly described as approaching net zero. Washington, Oregon, and California are much closer to net zero due to statewide incentives and mandates coupled with the increased rates of utilities in these states. Florida and other states are still far behind Washington, Oregon, and California.  Florida and other states are still far behind. This might seem rather strange, considering that Florida, the Sunshine State, is blessed with ample energy from the sun. However, in 2021 Florida generated just 6% of its power from renewable sources such as solar, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. But as paltry as that might seem, Florida actually ranks very high out of all states—number four—in renewable energy and solar energy.

Furthermore, Florida has much lower energy costs and has moved more slowly towards net zero because the economics are not in place to encourage more investment to improve power use and thus reduce CO² emissions.  When facilities look at the costs of wind and solar energy, new technologies around mechanical and lighting systems, and redesign or retrofit of a facility, the return on investment is often many years away. Government incentives can help, especially as energy costs play a major part in operational expenses.

Net zero is defined as carbon neutrality, meaning the amount of greenhouse gases (CO² being most impactful) produced by a facility is brought to zero by reducing emissions or methods to absorb greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are the leading cause of our planet’s global warming. Reducing, eliminating, and absorbing greenhouse gases will slow or potentially reverse global warming. Driven by rising energy costs, government mandates, long-term cost savings, and simply doing the right thing for future generations, schools are increasingly turning to engineers and architects to move towards net zero energy consumption using various renewable energy sources and new technologies.

One sector where net zero has received increasing attention is in the educational sphere. Indeed, much of the push toward net zero in school construction focuses specifically on solar energy—perhaps partially pushed by the younger generations’ increasing knowledge about environmental sustainability. Just one example can be seen in a recent deal in which Durham Public Schools in North Carolina is party to a triumvirate of customers of Duke Energy’s Green Source Advantage (GSA) program to purchase nearly 35 megawatts (MW) of solar energy in the state. Elsewhere, Maryland’s extensive Prince George’s County Public Schools district, located just outside Washington, D.C., has committed to being entirely carbon-neutral by 2040. The district has already installed some solar panels on some of its schools, yet much more needs to be done at the state level. Accordingly, a bill before the Maryland General Assembly seeks to encourage extensive solar energy usage in future construction. This political tightrope is possible thanks to the bill’s not requiring a mandate from the state government in Annapolis.

However, increasingly, such government mandates are driving more demand for a move toward net zero. But it’s a mix of mandates and incentives that provide schools with dollar-driven initiatives to improve their renewable power generation and reduction of greenhouse gases. Higher education institutions are often in the business of making money and profits will guide their choices to invest in solar technologies that reduce or offset CO² emissions. It is truly a business decision for many of these institutions, and if the numbers are not in their favor, they will often forego such investment. Even a basic 5-kilowatt system costs between $15,000 and $25,000 to install without any government incentives or tax credits, according to the Center for Sustainable Energy. When that is scaled up, the costs begin to look rather daunting.

Increasing energy costs are driving educational institutions to look toward new sources of power. Heating and cooling costs constitute a substantial portion of operational budgets, with some estimates putting these costs at nearly 50% of all operating expenses. Building envelopes have been a focus when efficient designs are planned and implemented. Substantial heating or cooling loss via a leaky building envelope can exacerbate costs. Engineers must think creatively about ways to solve this problem because rebuilding or remodeling a facility is often not in the cards. Wind and solar can help offset the loss of climate control by providing needed power to run HVAC systems if schools are in areas to take advantage of the fuel these require, wind and sunlight.

Thanks to new motor technologies (ECM motors) and thermal energy storage (TES) technologies, engineers are finding ways to utilize incentives to address HVAC costs with a much more rapid return on investment (ROI). One example in Flagler County, Florida, is the Flagler-Palm Coast HS CEP renovation project which will have a new 1050-ton air-cooled, 36 Calmac ice storage tank central energy plant added to provide chilled water to a multi-building campus totaling 308,300 SF. The solution will provide a 4.3-year ROI, 12,964 metric tons per year of CO²e reduction, a 5,487,065 gallon annual water reduction and an Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) 48 Investment Tax Credit between $200,000 -$400,000. Lighting technologies are helping reduce energy usage for schools as well. LED lighting systems that are controlled and provide automated on/off mechanisms reduce electrical use while also cutting down on heat production, a byproduct of traditional incandescent bulbs.

Many in the education sector talk about net zero. However, it is a long way off for most. Incentives can help drive investment and states providing these continue to be ahead of the curve. Building technologies have advanced and they will continue to do so. Creative solutions can help speed the path to net zero and forward-thinking engineers and architects are leading the charge to offer solutions that make good sense now and sound returns in the future. While it is the right thing to do for the future of our schools, our children, and their children, investment must make sound economic sense for schools to be willing to rebuild or retrofit facilities.

Ryan Strandquest LEED AP is the President of Matern Professional Engineering.

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With support and funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the trade groups have produced a free publication for download by administrators, contractors, consulting engineers, architects, designers and of K-12 school buildings to learn how to design and create net-zero energy buildings — and save money in the meantime. Net-zero energy use refers to the status of a building that draws from outside resources equal or less energy than it provides using on-site renewable energy sources.

The new guide expands on Atlanta-headquartered ASHRAE’s previous publications regarding advanced energy design and provides specific guidance for on-site implementation of renewable energy practices. It also provides a set of energy performance goals for reaching the Holy Grail of net-zero energy. Moreover, the benchmarks are provided for all ASHRAE climate zones, including site and source energy.

As Jean-Claude Brizard, partner and vice president at Cross & Joftus wrote in the guide’s forward: “Zero energy may not be essential to the success of such schools, but in the hands of creative, innovative educators it provides abundant opportunities for authentic, problem- and project-based learning.”

The guide is optimized for K-12 school buildings, including elementary, middle and high schools, and covers such space types as administrative and office space, classrooms, hallways, restrooms, gymnasiums and multipurpose rooms, libraries, and food preparation and dining areas. It also puts an emphasis on environmental stewardship, as it observes in its first chapter, “A zero-energy school signals a shift toward recognizing and protecting natural resources and mitigating climate change to the entire community.”

Download the free guide here.

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