Green schools that include renewable forms of energy generation are much in vogue these days as communities and school districts around the country seek to capitalize on providing comfortable, healthy indoor environments for students and faculty while saving energy and reducing energy costs. Examples and studies of green schools, including LEED-certified and even net-zero schools, are finding their way into school publications and being presented at school design-build workshops and conferences.
There’s a lot of buzz right now about design and construction challenges, feasibility issues, and payback associated with the laudable objective of creating a green school building. There is also evidence that green schools promote student performance and reduce absenteeism.