Study Proves Benefits of Green Schools

Some 55 million students spend their days in schools that are too often unhealthy and that restrict their ability to learn. A recent and rapidly growing trend is to design schools with the specific intent of providing healthy, comfortable and productive learning environments. These green, high performance schools generally cost more to build, which has been considered a major obstacle at a time of limited school budgets and an expanding student population.

Greening America's Schools Costs and Benefits, by Gregory Kats, was published in October 2006.  The report was intended to answer this fundamental question: how much more do green schools cost, and is greening schools cost effective?

Background

Conventional schools are typically designed just to meet building codes - that are often incomplete. Design of schools to meet minimum code performance tends to minimize initial capital costs but delivers schools that are not designed specifically to provide comfortable, productive, and healthy work environments for students and faculty. Few states regulate indoor air quality in schools or provide for minimum ventilation standards. Not surprisingly, a large number of studies have found that schools across the country are unhealthy - increasing illness and absenteeism and bringing down test scores.

The cost of building green schools

This report documents the financial costs and benefits of green schools compared to conventional schools. This national review of 30 green schools demonstrates that green schools cost approximately 2% more than conventional schools - or about $3 per square foot ($3/ft²) - but provide financial benefits that are 20 times as large.

Greening school design provides an extraordinarily cost-effective way to enhance student learning, reduce health and operational costs and, ultimately, increase school quality and competitiveness.

The financial savings are about $70 per ft², 20 times as high as the cost of going green. (Table A) Only a portion of these savings accrue directly to the school. Lower energy and water costs, improved teacher retention, and lowered health costs save green schools directly about $12/ft², about four times the additional cost of going green. For an average conventional school, building green would save enough money to pay for an additional full-time teacher. Financial savings to the broader community are significantly larger, and include reduced cost of public infrastructure, lower air and water pollution, and a better educated and compensated workforce.

Green schools provide a range of additional benefits that are not quantified in this report, including reduced teacher sick days, reduced operations and maintenance costs, reduced insured and uninsured risks, improved power quality and reliability, increased state competitiveness, reduced social inequity, and educational enrichment. There is insufficient data to quantify these additional benefits, but they are substantial and, if calculated, would substantially increase the recognized financial benefits of greening schools.

Building healthy high performance school buildings is now far more fiscally prudent and lower risk than building conventional, inefficient and unhealthy school buildings.

Did you know?

• The building sector is responsible for over 40% of US CO₂ emissions – more than any entire economy in the world except China. Residential, commercial and industrial buildings use about 45% of the nation's energy, including about 45% of the nation's electricity. The USA is responsible for about one quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.
  
• Green schools use an average of 33% less energy than conventionally designed schools. Reduced electricity and gas use in buildings means lower emissions of pollutants (due to avoided burning of fossil fuels) that are damaging to human health, to the environment, and to property. Typical energy performance enhancements include more efficient lighting, greater use of daylighting and sensors, more efficient heating and cooling systems, and better insulated walls and roofs.
  
• 17 separate studies all found positive health impacts from improved indoor air-quality, ranging from 13.5% up to 87% improvement. There is a large body of research linking health and productivity with specific building design attributes. According to the US General Accounting Office, 14 million students (over a quarter of all students) attend schools considered below standard or dangerous.
  
• Some green schools are built on the same budget as conventional schools. The average national cost of school construction is $150/ft².

Icynene^® is one of the high performance products featured in the Isbell School in Frisco, Texas. This elementary school now provides an ideal environment for young minds to grow.  This project is a model for other school districts in how to meet the needs of rapid growth using a highly efficient, healthy, sustainable and cost-effective construction strategy. Click here to read more.

To contact an Icynene Licensed Dealer in your area click here.