High Performance Schools

The Department of Energy estimates that schools nationwide spend more than $6 billion annually on energy costs. Add to that the costs of water, wastewater processing and trash collection, and the cost per student averages about $140. Consider that 6,000 new schools will be built nationwide by 2007 and imagine the opportunity this affords school districts - they can reduce that cost of $140 to $85 per student by building high performance schools. Find out more at http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/schools/high_performance.html

Build for High Performance
Daylighting, insulation, programmable thermostats, alternative fuel school buses, solar panels -- thee are just a few of the building blocks of a high performance school. To get complete info on how to incorporate energy saving features into school buildings, check out www.eren.doe.gov/energysmartschools/order.html

Case Studies of high performance schools
http://www.energy.state.or.us/school/highperform.htm

SBIC-trained instructors teach the High Performance School Buildings workshop, which covers: the characteristics and benefits of high performance schools; questions that school decision-makers, as informed clients, can ask their A/Es to make sure their facility is high performance; and, design strategies to help A/Es deliver high performance schools.
http://www.sbicouncil.org/workshops/index.html

National Best Practices manual for High Performance Schools
http://www.rebuild.org/

Teaching About Energy: Links for Teachers
http://www.eere.energy.gov/energysmartschools/teaching_links.html

Teaching about Energy: Energy Lesson Plans
http://www.eere.energy.gov/energysmartschools/lesson_plans.html
http://www.need.org/guides.htm

Study demonstrates that although many variables can influence student performance, it appears that students clearly benefit from daylighting in school buildings. http://www.eere.energy.gov/energysmartschools/improve_learning.html

The Daylighting Collaborative, demystifies the why, how, who, and what of the cool daylighting philosophy. http://www.daylighting.org/index.htm

An overview of the problems associated with using petroleum-based fuels in school buses, including the health effects of bus emissions, and alternative fuel options for school buses
http://www.eere.energy.gov/energysmartschools/buses.html

Many items of preventive maintenance for all systems of a building, including HVAC system, lighting, electrical, and hot water.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/energysmartschools/pdfs/checklist.pdf

public Outreach and education

High Performance Schools