Developing a high performance school initiative

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DEVELOPING A HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS PROTOCOL FORINTEGRATION IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS IN THE NORTHEAST

Lead Author: Brian McCowan Co-Authors: Gary Epstein (ERS) Don Fudge (NEEP)

presented byBrian McCowanENERGY & RESOURCE SOLUTIONSACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

What is

Northeast High Performance Schools Exchange Established in 2003 Managed by Northeast Energy

Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) Participants Include All of the New

England States & NY, NJ, PA Goal - Majority of New and

Renovated Schools to Implement High Performance Design, Construction and Operation by 2010

Develop and Maintain a Regional High Performance School Protocol that Promotes Excellent Learning Environments that are Energy Efficient, Cost-Effective and Utilize Sustainable Technologies

Northeast Regional High Performance Schools Protocol

Task:

Develop and Maintain a Regional High Performance School Protocol that Promotes Excellent Learning Environments that are Energy Efficient, Cost-Effective and Utilize Sustainable Technologies

Funding:Henry P. Kendall FoundationMassachusetts Technology CollaborativeRatepayer-funded energy efficiency programs in Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts and New York.

Is a Regional Protocol Needed?

Five States in the Northeast have Officially Adopted a Voluntary (Funding Incentives) or Mandatory High Performance Schools ProgramThe Following Documents Are Variously Used For Compliance

Collaborative for High Performance Schools CHPS

ASHRAE Standards 90.1 & 62

State Energy Code

LEED

Advanced Buildings Guidelines Benchmark

School Administrators and the Design Community Desire Some Consistency

Is This CHPS For The Northeast?

Maybe

Common Requests From Exchange Members

Establish a Protocol That: Is Flexible and Can be Applied to Fit Specific States’ Needs Is Cost Effective Places the Primary Emphasis on Educational Performance

(Lighting, Indoor Air Quality, Thermal Comfort, etc.) Promotes Energy Efficiency in a Way That Compliments

Energy Efficiency Programs in the Participant State Maintains Societal Environmental Standards as Primarily

Voluntary Credits (Attract School Administrators) Emphasizes High Performance School Policies That Must Be

Maintained

Concerns From Exchange Members

“Things are Different Here in fill in your state here”

Winter Heating Climate Much of the Northeast is Rural LEED and CHPS Seem to Give Equal

Weight to Environmental Issues, Educational Performance and Energy Issues

LEED and CHPS Energy Efficiency Sections Viewed as too Lenient and Difficult to Quantify and Enforce

HPS Schools Programs and Energy Efficiency Programs

Each State Maintains SBC Funded Energy Efficiency Programs and Tax/Grant Funded HPS Schools ProgramThe Energy Criteria For Efficiency Program Incentives Differs From The Energy Criteria For High Performance Schools Programs in Each of The Participating States

HUH?

Key Protocol Provisions

Required PO PR.1 The school district must create a high performance design advisory committee to oversee the implementation of an integrated design approach and ensure that the high performance standards and the overall goals of the protocol are met.

Policy & Operations

Required PO PR.4 A school maintenance plan must be implemented that includes an inventory of all energy using equipment in the new or renovated school and its preventive maintenance needs.

Required PO PR.5 Pass a resolution that requires that all newly purchased equipment and appliances to be used in the school be ENERGY STAR® -compliant.

Required PO PR.6 Adopt a no idling policy that applies to all school buses used to transport the students of the school. The policy must include the following minimum provisions…

1 Credit PO EC.2.1 Commit for a period of two years to purchasing, at either the municipal or school district level, Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) or clean renewable electricity for the equivalent of at least 25% of the school’s projected annual electricity needs.

2 Credits PO EC 2.2 Commit for a period of two years to purchasing, at either the municipal or school district level, Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) or clean renewable electricity for the equivalent of at least 50% of the school’s projected annual electricity needs.

Key Protocol Provisions

Indoor Environmental QualityRequired IEQ P 1. Provide direct line of sight to view glazing in 70% of classrooms

and administration areas.

Required IEQ P 2. Natural Light (Daylighting) in Classrooms: Design to achieve a 2% minimum daylight factor of uniformly distributed natural light on the floor area in 75% of the classrooms.

Required

IEQ P 3. Install electric lighting system to enhance occupants’ visual performance with pendant or ceiling mounted high performance lighting fixtures. The lighting fixtures must incorporate High Performance “Super” T8 or T5 technology and include glare control features.

Required

IEQ P 5. Meet the minimum ventilation rate requirements of ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality.

Key Protocol Provisions

Energy EfficiencyRequired

EE P 1A. Meet all the criteria of Benchmark™ that is designated within the document as “required,” and comply with all the relevant “acceptance criteria” listed in Appendix A of the Benchmark™.

OR

Required Alternate

EE P 1B. Demonstrate performance better than ASHRAE 90.1 2001 by a minimum of 25% in accordance with the prescriptive approach and criteria outlined in the code document.

OR

Required Alternate

EE P 1C. Demonstrate performance better than ASHRAE 90.1 2001 by a minimum of 25% in accordance with the “whole building” approach, modeling the project with an approved DOE-2 Based Software Tool

Key Protocol Provisions

Energy Efficiency, cont.Required

EE P 2. Control Air Leakage: Install a continuous air barrier and employ air sealing best practices to control air leakage

Required

EE P 3. “Rightsize” HVAC Systems: Employ best practice HVAC design techniques to improve system performance and meet ASHRAE Standard 55.

Required

EE P 4. Systems Commissioning: Commission all energy using systems.

Required

EE P 5. Operation and Maintenance Training: Provide effective and complete training and documentation on the operation and maintenance of the building systems identified in the commissioning report.

Required

EE P 6. Secure Incentives and Rebates to Reduce Cost: Participate in energy efficiency incentive and technical assistance programs that are available through applicable utility and governmental programs.

Protocol Compliance Documentation Options

Individual State Compliance Each State Maintains a Compliance Process

Final Decision on Prerequisite/Credit Mix

Prerequisite Variance Methodology

Establish Project Review Team

Regional Compliance

States and Continuing Grants Fund a Regional Review & Compliance Effort Each State May Customize Prerequisite/Credit Mix

(Limited)

Documentation Review Completed by Regional Team

Conclusions

High performance buildings/schools programs and ratepayer funded efficiency programs share many common goals

But – They do Not Share Common Methodologies or Requirements

A Regional Protocol with State-by-State Flexibility Allows Efficiency Program Administrators and School Administrators to Work Toward Common Goals