by Brianna Crandall — December 19, 2016 — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently launched the Better Buildings Zero Energy Schools Accelerator. Six school districts, two states and several national organizations are working collaboratively to develop zero energy design that is cost-competitive to conventional construction in the education sector and in local communities across the nation. A Zero Energy Building is defined as an energy-efficient building where on a source energy basis, the actual delivered energy is less than or equal to the onsite renewable exported energy.
In conjunction with the launch, DOE officials joined other key stakeholders to tour Discovery Elementary School, a Zero Energy school located near the nation’s capital in Arlington, Virginia, that officially opened its doors in September 2015. Discovery’s engineering team expects to offset its energy usage with renewable energy and to potentially save about $75,000 within its first year of operation. Discovery Elementary is one of 40 emerging Zero Energy ready schools in the United States, and was built with advanced next-generation energy efficiency and renewable power features, including solar rooftop and geothermal heating and cooling systems.
Through programs like the Zero Energy Schools Accelerator, Zero Energy schools have the potential to save 65-to-80 percent in energy consumption, depending on the climate zone. By aggressively pursuing energy efficiency opportunities, school districts could dedicate these savings toward other learning needs, including salaries for teachers, computers or books, notes DOE. Further, the number of K-12 schools continues to grow and can serve as a model for other new construction sectors. The education sector accounts for a substantial portion of the building construction and renovation industry, a figure that has grown consecutively over four years, according to DOE.
In addition to saving money for taxpayers, Zero Energy schools also make a difference in the learning environment for students. Improved ventilation and daylighting are used extensively in most Zero Energy schools, and studies have shown that both these strategies help improve the learning environment. Teachers are also able to transform classrooms into three-dimensional (3D) engagement opportunities with the student body by using energy dashboards and new technologies as teaching tools.
The goal is to quickly make Zero Energy K-12 schools more mainstream. Partner school districts commit to developing their own zero energy plans for a district project within a year. They can also engage with fellow states and school districts, and leverage support from regional and national organizations, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, Southern California Edison, The Energy Coalition, New Buildings Institute, Rocky Mountain Institute, and the National Association of State Energy Officials.
The first participating school districts include:
- Hermosa Beach City School District (Hermosa Beach, CA)
- LA Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA)
- Arlington School District (Arlington, VA)
- Boulder Valley School District (Boulder, CO)
- Adams 12 – Five Star Schools (Thornton, CO)
- Douglas County School District (Douglas County, CO)
- State of Minnesota Schools
- State of California Schools
Better Buildings Accelerators are part of the broader Better Buildings Initiative, which aims to make commercial, public, industrial and residential buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over the next decade. Through Better Buildings, public- and private-sector organizations across the country are working together to share and replicate successful strategies to drive energy efficiency, thereby saving billions of dollars on energy bills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and creating thousands of jobs, says DOE.
