August 12, 2002—The Energy Department has released six books that complete Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools, a series of publications that will help school districts save millions of dollars on annual utility bills by designing energy-efficient schools compatible with regional climates.
David Garman, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, officially released six of the guidelines recently at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) State Energy Program/Rebuild America National Conference in New Orleans, La. He also unveiled the National Best Practices Manual for High Performance Schools which provides engineering and architectural specifications and other details on how to apply the guidelines.
The books provide information on site design, daylighting and windows, energy-efficient building shells, lighting and electrical systems, mechanical and ventilation systems, renewable energy systems, water conservation, recycling systems and waste management, transportation and resource-efficient building products.
The first set of guidelines, released in February, is tailored to hot and dry climates. The others address school design for the following climates: hot and humid, temperate and humid, cool and humid, cold and humid, cool and dry, and temperate and mixed.
Copies of Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools and the National Best Practices Manual for High Performance Schools are available free to the school design community in book form or on CD-ROMs by calling 800/DOE-3732. They are also available in .pdf format on the EnergySmart Schools Web site.
