Reduced Operating Expenses

High performance schools cost less to operate. School districts spend less for electricity, gas, water, maintenance, and other ongoing facility operating costs, enabling more money to be spent for salaries, books, teaching supplies and other items with a more immediate link to the true mission of schools: educating students.

How much savings can be expected? School districts can save 30 to 40 percent on annual utility costs for new schools and 20 to 30 percent on renovated schools by applying high performance design and sustainability concepts. The potential for savings is greater in new schools because it is possible to "design out" inefficiencies from the outset. These savings are designed into the building and will save money year after year, for decades.

The US Department of Energy's Rebuild America K-12 Schools Program estimates that school energy costs are approximately $100 per student year, depending on region and climate conditions. Adding in the costs of water, wastewater processing and trash raises the cost to approximately $125 per student per year. High performance design solutions can yield savings of up to $50 per student per year. In addition, high performance schools are healthy, and can bring more money into the school by lowering student absenteeism. With current revenue limit rates of $4,300 to $5,200 per student directly dependent on Average Daily Attendance (ADA), even small increases in attendance can significantly affect funding.

Integrated design is the key to savings of this magnitude. From the beginning of the design process, each of the building elements (windows, walls, building materials, air-conditioning, landscaping, etc.) is considered part of an integrated system of interacting components. Choices in one area often affect other building systems; integrated design leverages these interactions to maximize the overall building performance.