Schools Going Green

Posted by Barbara Pytel Mar 21, 2008

Building a school in Ohio just became a little more complicated. Not only must it be safe and functional--it must now be green. Schools that do comply with the LEED specifications are found to use

• 30-50% less heat
• 30-50% less electricity
• 30% less water

While these schools may initially cost more to build (about 3% more), the savings pays for the initial expense. Some of the building options to ponder are

• green roofs with dirt and vegetation growing on them
• natural lighting
• more insulation
• fewer materials that emit toxic fumes
• recycled materials
• solar panels
• skylights
• geothermal heat and cooling
• wind energy
• recycled rainwater

In Ohio, a facilities commission pays over half of building costs of a school and tax payers pay the remainder. Any "green" expenses are split with the state's funding agency.

Source: Denise Smith Amos, cincinnati.com, March 2, 2008

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Copyright article 2008 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.