A HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOOL: The proper place for a biomass heating system

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A HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOOLThe proper place for a
biomass heating system

• Kirk Stone
• The Jordan Institute
• At Merrimack Valley High School
• Thursday, March 27, 2008

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The Jordan Institute
Building Climate Change Solutions
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Climate Change is here.Houston, we have a
problem.
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GHG Emissions SourcesBuildings are a BIG
problem
ALL BUILDINGS 48 NH 59
TRANSPORTATION 27 NH 32
INDUSTRY 25 NH 9
Fossil Fuel Emissions US New Hampshire
Source Energy Information Administration
Statistics (Architecture 2030) NH Office of
Energy and Planning
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NH Partnership for High Performance Schools

• Outreach to communities
• More than 100 communities
• More than 1,000 individuals
• Examples of committed partners
• NH Dept. of Education
• NH Dept. of Health Human Services
• PSNH
• Henry P. Kendall Foundation
• NH Office of Energy Planning
• NH Chapter of American Institute of Architects
  (AIA NH)

• Education examples
• Green cleaning seminar series
• Technology site visits
• AIA NH Chapter meetings
• Published articles and reports
• Legislative and policy action
• Legislative Support for High Performance School
  Construction
• Member of Commission to Study the Relationship
  Between Public Health the Environment

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Granite State Energy Efficiency (GSE2)

• Dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
  buildings of all kinds
• Benchmark and track building energy
  intensity with simple software
• Identify buildings that warrant investment
  grade audits and help obtain those audits
• Develop appropriate improvement projects and
  assist with implementation.

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The Rising Cost of Energy
Source Energy Information Administration,
www.eia.doe.gov
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The Rising Cost of Energy
Source Energy Information Administration,
www.eia.doe.gov
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The Rising Cost of Energy
Source Energy Information Administration,
www.eia.doe.gov
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So, what IS a high performance school?
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High performance design results in the
construction and operation of an optimized
structure
vs. the current practice of putting up buildings
that are one step above breaking the law (i.e.,
built to code)
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A high performance school is

• One in which buildings and grounds are
• Healthy Productive for occupants
• Cost-effective for owners (durable, efficient,
  low maintenance)
• Environmentally friendly and favorable for
  surroundings (optimal utilization of site,
  energy, water, materials)

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1. HEALTHY PRODUCTIVE

• A high performance school building provides
• High levels of acoustic, thermal, and visual
  comfort
• Large amounts of natural daylight
• Superior indoor air quality
• A safe and secure environment

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2. COST EFFECTIVE

• A high performance school building utilizes
• Energy analysis tools that optimize energy
  performance
• A life cycle cost approach that reduces the total
  costs of ownership
• A commissioning process that assures the facility
  will operate in a manner consistent with design
  intent

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3. ENVIRONMENTALLY FAVORABLE

• A high performance school building incorporates
• Energy conservation, efficiency, and renewable
  energy strategies
• High performance mechanical and lighting systems
• Environmentally sensitive and responsive site
  planning
• Environmentally preferable and durable materials
  and products
• Water efficient design

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Costs Benefits of Green Schools

• Greening Americas Schools Costs and Benefits, a
  study by Greg Kats, Capital E
• - Studied 30 high performance schools in 10
  states
• Found the average cost premium for high
  performance design and construction to be 1.7,
  or about 3.00 per square foot
• www.cap-e.com

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Greening Americas Schools

• The Kats study found that among the 30 green
  schools studied in 10 states
• Average Cost Premium 1.65
• (about 3 / sq.ft)
• Average Energy Savings 33.40
• Average Water Savings 32.10

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Costs Benefits of Green Schools

• This green school study provides a clear and
  compelling case that greening schools today is
  extremely cost-effective, and represents a
  fiscally far better design choice. Building
  green schools is more fiscally prudent and lower
  risk than continuing to build unhealthy,
  inefficient schools.
• (From the Greg Kats study, p. 20)

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The purely economic costs

• There is a cost to buy, or first cost
• And there is a cost to own, or
• life-cycle cost
• Using a life-cycle cost analysis, in simple
  economic terms, green schools cost less to own
  over their life-time.
• School owners must get beyond looking simply at
  the first cost and look carefully at the full
  cost to own a school facility over its life.

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PLUS Costs to the environment are reduced

• Greenhouse gas
• emissions DOWN
• Water use MORE EFFICIENT
• Air quality IMPROVED

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AND Costs to health reduced

• Better indoor air quality
• Better acoustics
• Fewer asthma triggers
• More daylighting
• Better artificial lighting
• Better ventilation and
• air exchanges

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Green and brown schools

• Compare them fairly
• When you look at
• the additional first costs
• of a green school,
• Be sure you also look
• at the additional
• life-cycle costs of a
• brown school

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Lifecycle Cost Analysis

• Higher Initial Costs
• Up front design
• Energy modeling
• Commissioning
• Control systems
• Building operator training
• Efficient envelope
• Plumbing fixtures

• Result in Lower Costs
• Energy use
• Health and productivity
• HVAC
• Change orders
• Building maintenance
• Building insurance
• Water use
• Longer building life

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The benefits of high performance schools

• A high performance building in NH supports a
  schools mission by delivering at least eight key
  benefits

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1. Better student performance
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2. Increased average daily attendance
3. Increased teacher satisfaction and retention
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4. Reduced operating costsComparison of Costs
for Two Options


Operating


Investment
Option 1
Option 2
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5. Increased school building aid

• NH Dept. of Education has created the opportunity
  for school districts to receive up to 3 more in
  their School Building Aid formula payments IF
  they successfully design, build, and operate a
  school that meets the guidelines established by
  the Northeast Collaborative for High Performance
  Schools (NE CHPS).
• New Hampshire now has an incentive-based
• means for awarding additional state
  funding
• to qualifying projects.

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6. Reduced liability for

• Exposure to mold
• Exposure to pesticides
• Exposure to VOCs
• Inadequate air exhange
• Wind, water, or ice damage
• Acoustics

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7. A positive influence on the environment
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8. Increased opportunities for using the
facility itself as a teaching tool

• Merrimack Valley High School wood chip
  heating plant

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Will Your Building Come With A Sticker?
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Performance Is This Good?
50 MPG
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Energy Performance
36,000 btu / sf / yr
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Energy Performance
15,216 btu / sf / yr
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Write your own performance sticker for your
building

• New architectural and engineering tools make it
  possible for owners to establish the performance
  parameters for their new buildings BEFORE
  DESIGN BEGINS.
• This is a necessary and crucial step toward
  achieving a high performance outcome.
• Establish performance goals first.
• Dont buy a pig in a poke and find out your
  buildings performance only when the utility
  bills come in.

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Create your own sticker for your school project

• Using the CHPS guidelines, set performance goals
  - create sticker components in each of these
  key areas
• - Policy and operations
• - Indoor environmental quality
• - Energy efficiency
• - On-site renewable energy
• - Water efficiency
• - Materials selection specs
• - Site selection lay-out
• - Innovation

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Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)

• Point-based rating system, like LEED.
• Specifically for school projects.
• Simpler verification and certification.
• No gradations, just a CHPS school or not.

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• CHPS has been adopted in
• California
• Washington
• Massachusetts
• New York
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• Connecticut (modified)

• CHPS is being actively considered in
• Vermont
• Maine
• Some Southwestern states

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• CHPS In New Hampshire
• -- Voluntary
• Carries up to a 3 bonus in NH School Building
  Aid
• Merrimack Valley High School will be the first
  CHPS school in NH a thorough renovation with
  addition
• Profile High School is on track to be the first
  CHPS new construction project
• Laconia Middle School is also underway as a new
  CHPS school
• Grantham Elementary School Just passed vote in
  2008 will be renovation and new construction
• About 15-20 other projects actively considering
  CHPS

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Utility Efficiency Programs Provide

• Detailed Energy Audits (Retrofit)
• Design Reviews (renovation and new construction)
• Selection of Energy Efficiency
• Equipment
• Rebates on some HP technology
• and equipment
• Review of Vendor Proposals
• Educational Programs and Seminars

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A high performance school is

• Healthy and productive
• Cost effective
• Environmentally favorable
• What will it cost
• your taxpayers
• if you DONT build
• to a high performance
• standard? Why isnt my school a high
• performance school?

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Remember the Katz study

• Building green schools is more fiscally prudent
  and lower risk than continuing to build
  unhealthy, inefficient schools.

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Contact us

• The Jordan Institute
• www.thejordaninstitute.org
• 603-226-1009
• Kirk Stone Ext 206
• kstone_at_nhphps.org

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High performance not a new idea

• The young spirit loves the free air and the
  cheerful day and when confined, as for some six
  hours it must be, the confinement should be as
  little unnatural and unwholesome as possible. The
  cheapest medicine for the body is good air and
  plenty of room and the most indispensable
  pre-requisite to sane thought is a beautiful and
  happy place to think in.
• Professor Haddock
• NH Commissioner of Common Schools
• June 1847