Green Schools Initiative
The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) have announced new funding that will help communities conserve energy and use clean energy technologies to power school projects approved for construction by the MSBA.
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| The recently dedicated Dedham Middle School exemplifies excellence in high performance design. Daylighting, highly efficient light fixtures, a 30 kW solar system mounted on the roof, and other green features amount to a predicted $50,000 per year in avoided energy costs. |
MTC’s Renewable Energy Trust is offering $15 million in grants to fund solar electric panels, wind turbines, and other clean energy technologies, as well as green building design and planning assistance, at schools that meet new guidelines for energy efficiency. The $15 million will be available through the Green Schools Initiative as design and construction grants to those school districts approved for MSBA construction assistance. In addition to the MTC grants, MSBA will award qualifying communities up to an additional 2% of the approved, eligible project costs for verified high-performance “green” schools.
Green schools are healthy and productive learning environments. They are also cost-effective facilities that conserve energy and use renewable resources.
The Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School was the first to receive an award under the new program. It is using a $340,000 grant to design and install a new 30-kilowatt solar array on the roof. The school was verified by MTC and the MSBA as a green school.
Through a partnership of the MSBA, MTC, and the state’s Department of Education, 20 schools have participated in the pilot phase of the Green Schools Initiative. These school projects made a commitment to green design early in project development. The reward for that commitment was not only a grant from MTC, but also school buildings that are on average 30% more energy efficient than typical schools and have superior indoor environmental qualities. The energy-efficiency measures will save each of these schools $50,000 to $100,000 per year in utility expenses.
In addition to the energy savings and clean energy generated by these schools, the pilot phase of the Green Schools Initiative led to the adoption of new state regulations that require all new school or major renovation projects approved for a grant from the MSBA after July 1, 2007 to adopt numerous green design measures. The new MTC grants and the extra 2% MSBA incentive will encourage schools to go even further than the new state minimums. These verified high-performance green schools in Massachusetts will lead the nation in the areas of decreased operating costs, reduced impact on the natural environment, and enhanced learning and teaching environments for students and teachers.
Studies completed for MTC on the costs and benefits of green schools show that green schools are very cost effective. Incremental costs of green schools in Massachusetts range from 1.5% to 2.5% and can provide benefits of up to 8 times the incremental cost over a 20-year lifecycle period. One study, by HMFH Architects, Inc., and the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, looked specifically at the incremental costs and hard benefits of eight Green Schools Initiative pilot projects in Massachusetts.
The studies, as well as other relevant publications, are available on the Green Schools Publications section of the website.
For more information on the Green Schools Initiative, contact Sam Nutter at (508) 870-0312 x277 and nutter@masstech.org.