EnergySmart Schools For a brighter energy future

1. EnergySmart SchoolsFor a brighter energy future Judith A. Dyer, TVMI Coordinator EERE Project Management Center May 8, 2008

2. Opportunity • About $60 billion will be spent over the next 3 years to build or renovate schools • The average school is 42 years old and uses outdated equipment and technology • Around 1,000 schools are built annually • America’s 93,000 public schools spend more than $8 billion per year on energy: • 2nd largest expense after personnel costs • Rising energy costs limit funding for other school needs • Increasingly, schools play a critical role as centers of community and must be constructed with the ability to provide shelter and services during emergencies

3. What Makes a School EnergySmart? • High-performance building design • Energy-efficient technologies, design and O&M strategies • Energy education • Alternative fuel transportation • Renewable energy systems • Incorporates ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and Target Finder tools • Safe havens • Round the clock centers of community

4. Challenges • Energy efficiency not first priority for school decision-makers, • Need for study that links improved academics and health to energy efficiency • Perception of higher initial costs • Funding • Lack of awareness of long-term benefits through reduced O&M costs • Design/construction decisions • Decision-making process varies among school districts • Life cycle cost estimating

5. Program Goal and Energy Savings Existing Schools Goal Energy Savings 30% improved efficiency in existing schools (over ASHRAE 90.1-1999) Anticipated total energy savings from the EnergySmart Schools Initiative would be 0.002 quads of energy and $14 million in cost savings in schools by 2020 New Schools Goal 50% improved efficiency in new schools and major renovations and additions (over ASHRAE 90.1- 1999)

6. DOE’sRole in EnergySmart Schools • Provide technical assistance in advanced building technologies and practices • Monitor/collect data to document best practices • Bring together partners and stakeholders at the national and regional levels • Provide information (databases, etc.) that link money sources to schools • Provide information resources

7. Strategic Pathways Goal: 50% Energy Savings in New Construction and Major Renovations and Additions and 30% Energy Savings in Existing Schools 1. Provide Best Technical Information 2. Persuade Key Stakeholders 3. Partnerships ASHRAE 30% Design Guide Presentation and Marketing Energy Efficiency Partnerships School Decision-Makers School Boards, Superintendents, Facility Managers, and Business Officials Financing Guide Other Federal Agencies and Key Stakeholders Peer-to-Peer Exchanges Decision-Maker Brochures/ Case Studies NSBA, AASA, ASBO, CEFPI Evaluation and Documentation

8. A curriculum enhancement tool with over 100 energy-related lessons and activities Organized by grade level (K-4, 5-8, 9-12) and by topic (Energy Fundamentals, Efficiency and Conservation, Sources of Energy Environmental Impacts) Aligned to National Science Education Standards Distributed through the ESS partner network Get Smart About Energy CD-ROM

9. www.energysmartschools.gov

10. ASHRAE Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings

11. Achieve 30% energy savings over the minimum code requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999… • Without having to resort to detailed calculations or analyses.

12. Explains integrated design • Checklists • Suggested targets • Savings by climate zone • 8 climate zones • Prescriptive path • No modeling required • Helps earn CHP, LEED, or other credits

13. Case studies • Learn from others by climate zone • Advice for getting it done • How to avoid problems • Savings via appliances, equipment options • Other energy savings measures

14. Developed in collaboration with: • The American Institute of Architects (AIA), • The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) • The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) • The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

15. Free download at ashrae.org under Technology • 34,000 downloads already • DOE emailed most of you with link to the Guide • ASHRAE sent out 16,000 hard copies to school districts

16. Website: energysmartschools.gov • Contact Information: • Email: Judith.Dyer@netl.doe.gov • Phone: 304-285-1347

17. USDA Rural Development and DOE EnergySmart Schools

18. Overview Overview • The USDA Rural Development Community Programs are designed to develop essential community facilities and services for public use in rural areas • DOE’s EnergySmart Schools initiative is committed to providing the technical, financing, and educational tools and guidance for high performance buildings • This links DOE’s expertise in energy efficient, high performance schools to facilities in rural communities that are participating in USDA’s Community Facilities direct loan, guaranteed loan and grant programs • USDA and DOE will work together to identify and distribute tools and resources tailored appropriately to help both programs and constituents achieve their energy efficiency goals • This collaboration is intended to ensure that rural communities reap the economic and environmental benefits that can accrue from healthy, high performance buildings

19. Barriers to high performance rural schools development Barriers to high performance rural school development • Limited financial and technical resources • Many rural facilities are considered too small to serve by energy service companies • Many state- or utility-funded efficiency programs find rural communities hard to reach due to lack of technical and financial resources • Current trend towards consolidating districts due to negative growth, resulting in the need to upgrade infrastructure • Skepticism regarding benefits and upfront capital costs • Legislative restrictions on construction spending

20. DOE and USDA Initiatives DOE and USDA Initiatives DOE EnergySmart Initiatives USDA Rural Development Initiatives A national stakeholder network that includes utilities, energy efficiency program sponsors and education associations Energy technical expertise and financial guidance Standard tools and technologies for improving energy efficiency Community facilities program portfolio that includes schools Existing grant and loan mechanisms Distribution network providing access to rural areas (e.g., state offices) GOAL: Durable, energy efficient high performance rural schools that provide essential community centers, as well as progress towards net zero energy buildings

21. EnergySmart Schools Tools and Resources EnergySmart Schools Tools and Resources • EnergySmart Schools (K-12 public schools) website: www.energysmartschool.gov • ASHRAE Advanced Energy Design Guidefor K-12 Buildings, a strategy to achieve 30% savings above code • ESS Financing Toolkit includes a “How To” guide, fact sheets and case studies that highlight innovative financing strategies and making a business case for high performance school design (under development) • Get Smart About Energy CD contains more than 350 lesson plans and activities about energy efficiency and renewable energy organized by grade levels and topics www.eere.energy.gov/education/lessonplans/ • Regional Peer-to-peer exchange opportunities for school stakeholders • ESS case studies will contain a robust organizational framework used to measure and verify school energy efficiency (available June 2008) • Connections to national and regional partners to ensure that all resources are best leveraged to lower the planning and implementation costs to the schools (DOE national laboratories, Energy Efficiency Program Sponsors, CEFPI, AIA, ASBO, AASA, etc.) Key Outcome: Case studies that measure and verify the energy performance of participating pilot schools, emphasizing best practices that can be replicated across all rural school communities.

22. Action Items for USDA State Offices Action Items for USDA State Offices • Identify candidate projects that are: • In the early stages of new construction or renovation • Qualify to participate in the Community Facilities Program • Express interest in integrating aspects of high performance design into their rural school projects (K-12 public schools) • Identify potential pilot opportunities by coordinating with local stakeholders and publicizing the availability of DOE EnergySmart Schools programs and associated technical, financial, educational and marketing resources • After identifying a potential pilot opportunity in the northwest contact Amy Tomer, U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, (304)-285-4670, amy.tomer@netl.doe.gov • Identify opportunities within the region for peer-to-peer exchange, which could include facilitated sessions on technical or financing aspects of high performance (implementation of DOE tools and resources)