ASHRAE and other leading building-industry organizations have developed the Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings to help school districts use economic stimulus funds to improve energy efficiency.
Estimates show districts spend 16 percent of their controllable costs on energy. As school boards and superintendents develop programs to use recent economic stimulus funds, projects focused on improving energy efficiency can result in long-term savings for school districts.
The guide provides recommendations for achieving 30 percent energy savings over the minimum code requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides significant funding and financing opportunities to modernize, renovate and repair public schools. Under the state fiscal stabilization fund, up to $48.3 billion can be allocated to schools. An additional $25 billion in eligible bonds also have been authorized.
The recommendations in the guide allow those involved in designing or constructing school buildings to easily achieve greater energy savings without having to resort to detailed calculations or analysis. The energy-saving recommendations for each of the eight U.S. climate zones are summarized in one table. Additional recommendations point to other opportunities to incorporate greater savings into the design of the building.
Copies of the Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings are available for free download, or organizations can order print copies from the ASHRAE bookstore. Managers also can find details on stimulus funds for educational facilities on the U.S. Department of Education’s Recovery Web page.
