Check out the briefing summary!

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute and the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council sponsored a Congressional briefing on "high performance school buildings" - energy-smart schools that utilize a "whole building" design which incorporates the use of daylighting, other renewable energy resources, energy efficient technologies, and other sustainable features. These technologies can be incorporated in new construction, rehabilitation and retrofits. Representative Mark Udall (D-CO) provided opening remarks (See above photo by Jeremy Ames, EESI).

Legislation related to high performance school buildings is pending before Congress: such provisions have been included in comprehensive energy policy proposals introduced in the Senate; in the SAFE Act (H.R. 4), which passed the House; and in the Senate-passed Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Authorization bill.

To make a real difference in the quality and affordability of public education today, designing high performance schools through new construction and rehabilitation is the place to start. Energy-smart schools result in better student performance, promote teacher retention, improve occupant health, consume less energy, significantly reduce operating costs, and improve the environment.

The "high performance school building" approach has already been demonstrated in a number of schools around the country with impressive results, and was discussed by the following panel of experts:

Did you know?

• It is estimated that 6,000 new schools will be built by 2007.



• Schools in the United States currently spend more than $6 billion per year on energy, which exceeds the cost of computers and books combined, and is second only to salary expenses.



• According to a 1995 General Accounting Office report, 73 percent of schools were built before 1960 (the average age of buildings being 42 years); nearly 28,000 schools have inadequate heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; and 21,000 have faulty roofs.



• In a typical school, one-third of the energy consumed is wasted. This is largely due to old and poorly functioning equipment; poor insulation; and outdated technology, such as lighting systems. The least energy efficient schools use almost four times as much energy per square foot as the most energy efficient ones.



• Cost effective energy performance improvements can reduce energy bills by 25 to 30 percent on average, which would save $1.5 billion per year - enough to hire 30,000 new teachers or buy 40 million books annually.