|
Green
Schools’ Students Attain Higher
Performance Levels
by Gary Luepke
According to a recent American Federation of Teachers report,
many schools are overcrowded and in a state of disrepair, often
with inadequate HVAC systems, poor acoustics, even substandard
plumbing. Add to that, ever-diminishing budgets and increasing
student populations.
The problem begins to look dismal. In a 1999 Federal study by
the U.S. General Accounting office, 75 percent of schools responded
that they needed funds for repairs, renovation and modernization
just to bring their schools up to a level they would consider “good.”
In fact, the U.S. General Accounting Office estimates that it
will cost $112 billion to bring existing K-12 public schools to
proper standards. Another $73 billion is needed to add new facilities
when the student population increases from 53 million to 54.4 million
as expected by next year.
An increasing number of schools are looking to green construction
to address these issues. Green building strategies were employed
in buildings as far back as the 19th century. Recent research has
begun to shed light on green building’s potential as a pragmatic
solution to the problems faced by many buildings, including America’s
schools.
Green building may help schools face their most important challenge:
improving student achievement. A 2005 Turner Construction survey
of green buildings found that 70 percent of school districts with
green schools reported reduced student absenteeism and improved
student performance.
A new look at green building
Green, or sustainable, building is the practice of creating healthier
and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation,
operation, maintenance, and demolition, taking into account the
building’s entire lifecycle impact. The U.S. Green Building
Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) certification, is being applied in many districts.
Typically associated with increased initial costs, green building
is not even considered an option by many school districts in this
age of pinched budgets and increasing student populations.
But an increasing number of school districts have given green
building a try—some with the aid of alternative funding,
such as performance contracts that fund building enhancements and
improvements through energy savings, grants and government incentives—and
their success has encouraged further interest by schools across
the nation.
Recent information about green building’s costs and benefits,
as well as new legislation and incentives in many states, has contributed
to an increased interest in green building for schools.
The case for sustainable schools
With four times as many occupants per square foot as offices, schools
must pay particular attention to their indoor environments. Schools
contain a host of pollution sources, including lab chemicals,
cleaning supplies, chalk dust, and molds. Inadequate ventilation
results in the build-up of contaminants, including CO2, which
can cause drowsiness and reduce a child’s ability to concentrate.
Green building strategies, such as high performance HVAC and lighting
systems, increase a building’s IAQ and acoustics, among other
qualities, which have a significant impact on teacher performance
and student achievement.
There are also financial benefits to faster learning and better
test scores. An increase in test scores from 50 percent to 84 percent
is associated with a 12-percent increase in annual earnings after
graduation, according to Greening America’s Schools: Costs
and Benefits, a study sponsored by the American Federation
of Teachers, American Institute of Architects, American Lung Association,
Federation of American Scientists, and the U.S. Green Building
Council. (http://www.cap-e.com/ewebeditpro/items/O59F9819.pdf)
Research also suggests that green building can directly benefit
schools through decreased operational costs, freeing up budget
to fund teachers and other expenditures that directly impact student
learning. Using an average of 33 percent less energy than conventionally
designed schools, green schools not only pay lower utility bills
than conventional schools, they also have the potential to help
lower market-wide energy costs by contributing to reduced demand.
Given ever-increasing fuel costs and limited supply, the benefits
of energy efficiency can only increase, perhaps exponentially.
Green Schools use an average of 33% less energy than conventionally
designed schools.
Beyond energy costs, green building aims to reduce schools’ use
of other resources. For example, green construction can lead
to a 32 percent reduction in water use cutting costs for both
the school and society in general through reduced infrastructure
costs, according to Greening America’s Schools.
Considerations for going green
If you’ve decided to try on the potential benefits of
green building in your school system, there are a few crucial
considerations ahead.
Budget is the first issue. When building green, schools must
plan for slightly higher initial costs, but keep in mind that
green building will create savings that will almost always
pay for the added costs.
A few options exist that could ease this budget burden. For example,
explore funding alternatives, such as performance contracting,
which provide financing for facility improvements that have longer-term
payback through guaranteed energy savings, as well as incentives
from state and federal agencies.
|
Some green schools are built on the same budget as conventional
schools.
One school district that took this approach was Charlotte-Mecklenberg
in North Carolina. The district cut energy costs by a half
million dollars through a PACTTM (Performance Agreement
for Comfort with Trane) project. Through the 12-year contract,
Trane upgraded Charlotte-Mecklenberg schools to a high-performance
HVAC system that significantly reduced energy, water and
operational expenses. The PACT program allows the school
system to pay for the improvements with the estimated $550,000
savings it will accrue through the renovations.
Along with its many potential benefits, green building
also demands a careful, thorough approach. Consider the
following steps in order to ensure your system’s
green building success:
- Assemble a team with your district’s demands
in mind. The school’s design and planning staff
should select architects, engineers, and systems solutions
providers who fully understand the district’s financial
and performance objectives and can work closely with
district administrators to develop solutions.
- Set clear goals for the project. This might include
reducing energy consumption, designing superior learning
environments, increasing student performance, improving
health and safety, supporting community values, sustainable
operation, meeting community objectives, or others.
- Use a whole-building approach that takes all the
building’s
systems and how they interact with one another into consideration.
An integrated approach will lead to optimal building
and occupant performance and also help secure funding
through government grants and incentives.
- Consider LEED certification. The LEED certification
and documentation process is becoming more user-friendly
and the process is now entirely on-line. Steps
to LEED:
- Register your intent to certify before breaking
ground.
- Submit design phase credits at the early stages
and then move to the construction phase, enabling
your team to receive ongoing feedback throughout
the project’s
progression.
- Once the building is completed and all the documents
have been submitted, USGBC will review the building
and award a LEED certification based on how many
points the project earned. LEED on-line is
currently available for new construction, commercial
interiors and existing building applications.
- Learn from your peers. Your local U.S. Green
Buildings Council chapter will be able to help you find
a green school in your area.
|
New LEED program is in effect for K-12 Schools
by Lindsay Baker, USGBC staff
In December 2006, USGBC launched LEED for Schools, a market-specific
application of LEED that recognizes the unique nature and
educational aspects of the design and construction of K-12
schools. The rating system is based on LEED for New Construction
and addresses issues such as classroom acoustics, master
planning, mold prevention, and joint use of facilities.
The program launch (no pilot period will take place) is
supported by a full set of tools tailored to schools: a
reference guide, workshop, and LEED Online with credit
templates. In doing so, USGBC hopes to help school districts
across the country better understand the business case
for building green and to help them to implement their
green building goals through a third-party certification
program that is supported by educational offerings and
a nationwide network of LEED Accredited Professionals,
USGBC chapters and members. School districts
can implement LEED without the additional cost of establishing
in-house certification programs.
For more information on the LEED for Schools program,
go to www.usgbc.org/leed
|
Hermitage Elementary School, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia,
earned LEED certification in 2005, becoming the first elementary
school in Virginia to do so. As the school prepared to open for
its second “green” year, the Hampton Roads Chapter
of the U.S. Green Buildings Council hosted a tour to commemorate
a “year of being green.” More than 150 school board
members, consulting engineers, architects and facility managers
from neighboring cities visited the school to examine the element
of a successful LEED design first-hand.
|
