February 15, 2002—The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently released “Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools: Hot and Dry Climates,” the first volume in a series of guidelines to help the nation’s K-12 schools save millions of dollars on their annual energy costs, which now top $6 billion a year.
“New construction practices and technologies and energy efficient renovations can bring that $6 billion expense down by 25 percent,” Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said.
Six more sets of guidelines geared to specific US climate zones will be released by summer 2002. The information is pertinent to architects, builders, and school officials nationwide.
The document includes case studies that illustrate energy-efficient practices already in place at schools across the nation. One example is the Roy Lee Walker Elementary School in McKinney, Texas, which uses daylighting, passive solar heating, and a rainwater catchment system—an anti-erosion measure—that incorporates a garden with indigenous plants as a teaching tool. The first volume of guidelines—for schools in hot, dry climates—are available at DOE’s Energy Smart Schools Web site. They can also be obtained on a free CD-ROM by calling 800/DOE-3732.
