1. Integrate Wind Energy
Rural elementary and secondary schools in some states may want to consider participating in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind for Schools project. Wind for Schools provides project consultants to help establish small wind turbine installations at rural elementary and secondary schools, and then supports the installation with teacher training and hands-on curricula.

Wind for Schools also has the joint benefit of training higher education students to serve as its project consultants. Balancing education and sustainability, Wind for Schools’ specific goals are to equip college juniors and seniors with an education in wind energy applications; to engage communities in wind energy applications, benefits and challenges; and to introduce both teachers and students to wind energy.

Currently the program is only available to schools in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Virginia. However, more than 145 wind turbines — primarily 2.4-kilowatt turbines on 70-foot guyed or 60-foot monopole towers — have already been installed throughout participating states. Participating schools can also monitor kilowatt-hours produced, utility dollars saved and average kilowatt-hours used per month and per year via the Wind for Schools online portal.
More information is available at The U.S. Department of Energy website, www.energy.gov.

2. Join the USGBC — For Free
In September 2015, the USGBC’s Center for Green Schools invited K-12 schools and school districts to take advantage of one free year of membership.

Understanding the unique financial and sustainability challenges and needs faced by K-12 schools and districts, the Center for Green Schools is committed to supporting green school efforts, according to the organization’s website. In addition to all the member benefits associated with a school or district’s USGBC organizational membership, the Center for Green Schools also offers additional support and resources for schools and school districts, including an invitation and scholarship eligibility to the organization’s annual School Sustainability Leaders Summit; complementary registrations and reduced membership rates for the Center for Green School’s Green Classroom Certificate program; access to resources such as the Paid from Savings Guide to Green Existing Buildings, the online Existing Schools Toolkit and regular webcasts for school staff and leadership; eligibility to submit content to be featured on the Center for Green Schools blog; and the Monthly Center for Green Schools digest.

Schools and school districts can sign up for a free year of USGBC membership at www.centerforgreenschools.org.

3. Pick the Right Site
While schools and universities may not have limitless options when it comes to site selection for a new project, renovation or expansion, selecting the right site can result in both long-term cost savings and environmental benefits.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers a comprehensive, free-to- use school siting guidelines document that helps schools and universities make the best use of often-scarce resources by deciding whether to renovate an existing school, build a new school on a current site, or build a new facility on a new site. It can also guide school and university leaders through decisions related to acquiring land for school facilities, using legacy properties or leasing space; and renovating or reusing existing properties and structures.

The guidelines are specifically intended to help officials make efficient use of energy, avoid costly and dangerous student exposure to pollution and hazardous substances, locate schools near public transportation and potentially design school facilities to double as emergency shelters.

The guidelines outline financial considerations for school siting, such as the cost for mitigating or reducing environmental risks and long-term stewardship of remediation measures. Further, they give specific information regarding high performance and green schools with energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor air quality, safe materials and reduced environmental impact goals. They also lead officials carefully through the environmental review process, evaluating the impact of air pollution, and a variety of environmental threats such as mold, chemicals, pesticides, polluted soils and historic fill.

The School Siting Guidelines document is available on the EPA website, www.epa.gov.

Learn more in the July/August issue of School Construction News, available soon.
 

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“Selecting the Best of Green Schools honorees is an exciting and challenging process, as there are so many fantastic examples of efforts being made in communities large and small,” said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools, in a statement. “Some of the honorees go about their work quietly, while others are in public positions and have the attention of a national audience. Every one of the honorees is a leader, taking risks, setting an example for others, innovating and diligently pursuing a world in which every student attends a green school within this generation.”

The Monarch School, a Houston-based LEED Gold school, was honored in the K-12 category. The institution provides therapeutic education to students with neurological differences, such as autism spectrum disorder, hyperactivity, mood disorders and traumatic brain injuries, and integrates a number of green initiatives into its tailored curriculum.

Since 1997, The Monarch School’s environmental education program has offered students with special needs an opportunity to learn about the environment. The school’s Living Building Challenge (LBC) Studio Classroom was the first project in the state built to meet LBC requirements, and remains one of only five on the globe. The studio serves as an outdoor living classroom where students’ day-to-day interactive decision-making helps the building achieve net-zero energy and water performance, according to the Center for Green Schools. The school’s environmental programming also includes initiatives related to solar energy, wind power and geothermal energy, and incorporates active water harvesting.

Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo was honored in the higher education category for its recycling, energy conservation and waste reduction efforts, and for facilitating cooperative research into green manufacturing practices. Click here to read more about Western Michigan University’s green programming.

The University of Buffalo and the State University of New York, both located in Buffalo, also received an award for their collaborative efforts to educate the local community about green practices. The two universities planned and facilitated three region-wide environmental congress events to create Our Shared Agenda for Action, a blueprint for action on regional environmental issues. These events also inspired the creation of an environmental alliance that now includes more than 100 environmental organizations working in the areas of energy and climate change, transportation, food, habitat, environmental justice, parks and recreation, urban regeneration, and waste and pollution.

A complete list of winners in all categories can be found on the USGBC Center for Green Schools website.
 

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• Energy consumption is minimized.
• Construction and demolition wastes are recycled to the greatest extent possible.
• Landscaping uses native species, and stormwater runoff is captured and treated before entering the watershed.
• A healthy indoor environment is produced, by employing such strategies as natural daylighting, low off-gassing materials and fresh-air regulators.
• Materials, finishes and equipment, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are chosen with total lifecycle costs taken into considerations, and not just the initial cost of purchase and installation.

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The $20 million facility is Southwestern’s first official on-campus residence and serves as an immediate focal point. The building’s clean, white exterior more closely resembles a modern beach house than a standard dormitory and features a mix of curved and angular lines. As The Residences at 7th is also described as a living and learning community, these themes were heavily integrated even before construction began.

Prior to the design process, Southwestern Law School held several focus groups with students, staff and faculty. The results of these gatherings reinforced Southwestern’s environmentally conscious approach, as many participants expressed a clear desire for energy-efficient appliances, natural building products and recycling programs. According to James C. Camp, assistant dean for property administration and development, the administration listened. "We worked hard to make this a healthy, sustainable and livable home for our students," Camp said.

After building on the Southwestern community’s suggestions and requests, The Residences at 7th was awarded LEED points for its wide use of local and recycled materials, careful waste management efforts, and management of onsite erosion. Further points were gained from an innovative system in which runoff from the facility’s roof, courtyard and permeable paving is directed to a water infiltration system. Careful landscaping and high efficiency irrigation systems also reduced irrigation needs by roughly 20 percent, improving the site’s overall score.

The inclusion of Energy Star appliances and highly rated windows help keep energy costs and usage down inside, as does an HVAC system proven to be 24 percent more efficient than the Title 24 minimum. High-efficiency fixtures have been installed to minimize water usage, and all residents have received training in the structure’s various sustainability systems.

Serving a variety of transportation preferences also helped secure the prestigious LEED Platinum rating. The pedestrian-friendly site features preferred parking for hybrid or electric cars, plug-in stations, secure bicycle storage and is only a short distance from bus and rail systems.

Janice Manis, chief operating officer at Southwestern believes the recognition is a fine reflection of the school itself. "Achieving this certification represents the essence of Southwestern as an institution – to make a positive daily difference for the law school and the broader Los Angeles community,” Manis said.

The Residences at 7th was developed by Corsini Stark Architects and Symphony Development, both based in Los Angeles. MATT Construction, also of Los Angeles, was responsible for all construction.

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The survey, sponsored by Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies Corp. and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools, also found that one in three of the 1,000 surveyed said the majority of U.S. schools are in "poor" shape. Only 6 percent said U.S. schools are in "excellent" shape.

Surveys were conducted via telephone between Sept. 23 and Sept. 25 by New York-based GfK Custom Research North America.

"Americans understand the importance of our nation’s school infrastructure and see the urgent need for significant investments," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. "Too many of our schools are outdated, woefully energy inefficient, unhealthy, and negatively affect our children’s ability to learn — and ultimately to compete — in a global marketplace.”

In 2008, the United States deferred an estimated $254 billion in school facility maintenance, he said.

“Inadequate investment into maintaining school infrastructure has led to a significant number of schools in need of major repair and replacement,” Fedrizzi said. “That’s unacceptable."

At least 25,000 U.S. schools are in need of extensive repair and replacement, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

"These survey results demonstrate that the majority of Americans believe that maintaining our existing outdated, inefficient and wasteful school infrastructure simply isn’t good enough — which is why the Center for Green Schools is driving the green schools moment," Fedrizzi said.

The Green Building Council states that on average, green schools save $100,000 per year on operating costs: enough to hire at least one new teacher, buy 200 new computers or purchase 5,000 textbooks. Green schools use 33 percent less energy and 32 percent less water than conventionally constructed schools, which significantly reduces utility costs. If all new U.S. school construction and renovation went green today, the total energy savings alone would be $20 billion over the next 10 years, it says.

"A green school is an energy efficient school — meaning less money is spent on overhead like heating and cooling and more can be spent on keeping teachers in the classroom and getting them the resources they need," said Sandy Diehl, vice president, Integrated Buildings Solutions, United Technologies Corp., and a Center for Green Schools advisory board member.

In a survey of green school administrators, 70 percent reported that green school construction reduced student absenteeism and improved student performance, according to the Council.

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