May 2, 2007—The New York City Department of Education and the School Construction Authority has announced the publication of the NYC Green Schools Guide and Rating System, which will be used to guide the sustainable design, construction, and operation of new schools, modernization projects, and school renovations.
The NYC Green Schools Guide (GSG) and Rating System will assure compliance with Local Law 86 of 2005 (New York City’s Green Building Law), which established sustainability standards for public design and construction projects. The implementation of the GSG and Rating System makes New York City one of the first and largest school districts in the nation to have sustainability guidelines required by law.
Sustainable school design and operation, as outlined in the GSG and Rating System, will provide many benefits to students, school staff, and the city as a whole, says the Department of Education. Sustainable schools will conserve energy and water, reduce operating costs, promote a healthy environment, and help teach environmental responsibility.
The publication will ensure that “green schools” save energy costs by at least 20 percent over other regulatory mandates. Water-conserving plumbing fixtures such as metered faucets, dual flush toilets, low-flush urinals, and low flow showers will result in the reduction of potable water usage in each school by more than 40 percent. New efficient classroom lighting fixtures will save energy and provide high quality illumination. Stringent acoustical standards will ensure that instructional spaces are isolated from outside sound interference. The selection of building materials and the manner in which materials are removed from the construction site for proper disposal are based on environmental responsibility and benefit.
The GSG and Rating System was designed to meet the specific sustainability needs of New York City schools in a cost-effective manner. It is based on the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System, which was developed by the US Green Building Council, but it includes enhancements beyond LEED, based on best practices for schools adopted from the Collaborative for High Performing Schools rating systems developed by the states of Washington, Massachusetts, and New York, and also on SCA best practices.
The guide is available on SCA’s Web site.
Copies of the independent review of the guide, undertaken by OEC on behalf of the Mayor, can be downloaded from the Office of Environmental Coordination Web site.
