Thursday, September 23, 1999
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., 2318 Rayburn House Office Building

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute invites you to a Congressional briefing, chaired by U.S. Representative Mark Udall of Colorado, concerning improved school design and construction which can provide enormous opportunities to reduce energy costs - thereby freeing up funds for educational purposes as well as improving the overall teaching and learning environment. This topic should be of particular interest to Congress and other policy makers because of the tremendous amount of funds which are being spent for school renovation and new school construction. 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 supplies and books and is second only to salary expenses. These unusually high energy costs in American schools can be attributed to their old age and inefficiency. 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.

The "energy smart school" approach involves the design of the whole building, taking advantage of advanced energy efficiency technologies, daylighting and renewable energy. This approach offers many sound benefits to school districts. The U.S. Department of Energy projects that schools can reduce annual energy use by one-fourth, which would save $1.5 billion per year - enough to hire 30,000 new teachers or buy 40 million books annually. Furthermore, the construction costs for energy smart schools are lower than traditional schools when the cost of energy is taken into consideration.

By providing improved lighting and temperature control as well as better indoor air quality and reduced noise, renewable and efficient energy technologies incorporated into the whole building design can improve student performance. Such schools also can become important learning laboratories for students, faculty and their communities. Cutting energy use also benefits the environment as less fossil fuel is burned, resulting in less particulate matter and pollution emissions into the air and water.

The "energy smart school" approach has already been demonstrated in a number of schools around the country, and will be discussed by a panel of national experts at the briefing. The panel, chaired by Rep. Mark Udall, features:

Gary Bailey, American Institute of Architects, principal, Innovative Design, Raleigh, North Carolina. Mr. Bailey is a nationally recognized architect for his work on sustainable school design. He has been a lead designer and adviser for several school districts, including Clark County, Nevada; McKinney, Texas; and Wake County, North Carolina.

Jeffrey A. Lackney, Ph.D., director, Environmental Design Institute, Mississippi State University. Dr. Lackney is a registered architect and has done extensive research on the relationship of the school's physical setting on teaching and learning. The Educational Design Institute is a collaborative initiative between the College of Education and the School of Architecture.

Frederick H. Morse, Ph.D., president, Morse Associates, Inc., Washington, D.C. Dr. Morse is also chairman of the Policy Committee for the Sustainable Buildings Industries Council.

The briefing is open to the public. Reservations are not required. For more information, contact Beth Bleil of EESI at (202) 662-1886 or Jennifer Barrett with Rep. Mark Udall's office at (202) 225-2161.