Source: Green Schools Initiative http://www.greenschools.net/
Education is the leader in the non-residential building market for both new construction and renovation. Schools that have implemented sustainability initiatives, including energy conservation projects, have found that they not only save money, but they improve the health of their students and staff, have higher teacher retention rates, and boast students with higher achievements.
Green school buildings offer improved indoor air quality, temperature control, and lighting. A study, Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits, found that the costs alone made it worth building green, but the improvement of student and staff spirits made it even better. Not only is building quality correlated with student achievement and health, but buildings are often integrated into student curriculum to teach about sustainability and social responsibility.
Under House Bill 251 (HB 251), state-funded colleges and universities are required to develop 15-year plans for becoming energy efficient. By 2014, institutions will be required to reduce energy consumption by at least 20%. Energy conservation projects allow universities to lower their energy use and cost, lower operational costs, and reduce their environmental impact. Ohio House Bill 7 (HB 7) provisions allow payback of the project cost to be covered by guaranteed energy savings within a 15 year payback period.
Energy conservation projects in K-12 schools are being utilized more often as utility prices rise and as enrollment is expected to rise every year through 2019. The U.S. Green Building Council found that an average school could save $100,000 each year in energy costs. Ohio House Bill 264 (HB 264) is an energy conservation program that allows K-12 schools to become more energy efficient by using the money saved to pay for the upgrades. This means that the utility cost savings pay for the project without using any taxpayer dollars.
Ohio energy services company, Brewer-Garrett, is experienced and knowledgeable in developing the best energy conservation projects for your higher education or K-12 school. To learn about our projects, visit our case studies page or contact us for more information.
