This executive briefing from the Center for Green Schools outlines how school leaders can plan for greener school renovation projects to achieve long-term sustainability goals.

The first step to saving energy at your building is to benchmark — that is, to measure and compare your building’s energy to similar buildings, past consumption, or a reference performance level. Portfolio Manager is an interactive resource management tool that enables you to benchmark the energy use of any type of building, all in a secure online environment. Nearly 25% of U.S. commercial building space is already actively benchmarking in Portfolio Manager, making it the industry-leading benchmarking tool. It also serves as the national benchmarking tool in Canada.

BetterBricks helps you and your organization reap the bottom line benefits of energy management. An initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, BetterBricks is supported by local electric utilities.

School building case studies from BetterBricks.

The Campus Environmental Resource Center--CampusERC--is intended to be a great library of resources to support campus environmental performance improvement. Developed collaboratively by NACUBO, C2E2, CSHEMA, APPA and the EPA, the primary audience is staff, administrators or faculty who are looking for resources to better understand environmental regulations, find relevant contacts, seek model practices, track news or build and manage better environmental programs.

Part of the U.S. Green Building Council, this center helps schools become more sustainable. Also provides information about LEED for schools.

The goal of Clean School Bus USA is to reduce both children's exposure to diesel exhaust and the amount of air pollution created by diesel school buses.

The study of daylight conditions within educational buildings has been a topic of interest since the nineteenth century in western countries, and European ones in particular. Although it has been argued that providing a view outside—or even using daylight instead of more stable and manageable artificial light—could reduce students’ performance without providing a pleasant and healthy environment, nowadays it seems that a large consensus upon the need to design well daylit spaces is being reached. This paper reviews how the research community has tackled the task of understanding and solving the complex relationships amongst local climate, users’ needs and design constraints in school buildings by showing the different approaches used and technological solutions suggested. The reported case studies, based either on experimental measurements or on simulations, highlight the need of a comprehensive approach to the topic to fully understand the non-trivial requirements of a daylit educational environment.

This case study partnership between Lakes International Language Academy, Carrier, and the American Lung Association conducted an IAQ assessment of one district. The goal was to establish a process for American Lung Association to partner with small school districts to conduct IAQ assessments, provide technical assistance, and develop written IAQ management plans. Lakes International Language Academy (LILA) is a pre-Kindergarten – 12th grade International Baccalaureate World school in Forest Lake, Minnesota comprised of three campuses: Kinder Center, Lower School and Upper School. LILA serves 1,400 students. Like many other schools, the COVID-19 pandemic heightened awareness of IAQ issues among LILA leadership, who has a strong awareness of the built environment’s impact on health and academic performance. LILA administration sought to leverage this collaborative project to establish data-driven IAQ practices and enhance equipment maintenance planning, while navigating resource constraints and continuing its tradition of transparent communication.

The energy employees typically use to travel to and from an average office building during a given time period--its transportation energy intensity--can be a third to twice the energy used to run the building during the same time period. Hence attention to the total ecological footprint of a building must consider more than just the energy efficiency of the building...

A federally-funded program awarded to the George Washington University by the U. S. Department of Education in 2013. The EFC offers education stakeholders an online library of facility research and provides public schools and universities access to training and facility experts through their technical assistance process.

Contains updated information on electric power generation/use.

The EmPowered Schools Program, an educational component of the Alliance to Save Energy, has three primary goals: to help schools save money on energy costs and protect the environment through cooperative, school-wide changes in behavior, operations, and maintenance procedures and retrofits of more efficient equipment; to provide hands-on learning opportunities for students; to build pathways to green jobs.

Identifies and describes 16 clean energy policies and strategies that states have used to meet their clean energy objectives. It describes how states are successfully expanding the role of clean energy in the U.S. energy system and shares the experience and lessons learned from successful state clean energy policies.

Detailed checklist for an energy audit. Developed by the Washington State University Cooperative Extension Energy Program.

Energy designs included in this 88-page document includes case studies as well as site designs, daylighting, energy-effcicient shells, lighting, ventilation systems, water conservation, transportation and much more.

This report focuses on the strategic partnerships between State and Territory Education Agencies and State and Territory Energy Offices. Collaboration among these agencies can help states better support energy efficient and healthy school facilities by lowering utility and maintenance costs for schools and improving the learning environment for students.

This is a comprehensive list of easy to understand energy-related terms from the California Energy Commission.

Search for a term or browse by letter or topic.

EnergySense is an applied research center at the University of Illinois System. Their mission is to empower organizations with practical solutions for climate, energy, and sustainability.

Guide to gathering data and setting up an account in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.

Helps you decide when to finance energy efficiency projects. Estimate how much new equipment you can finance using anticipated savings, as well whether you should finance now or wait for a lower interest rate. Downloadable Excel file.

K-12 school districts spend over $8 billion nationwide on energy costs each year. More than 30 percent of energy use goes to waste and ten percent can be saved by implementing low-cost measures. This page will help you learn how to assess your building's energy efficiency, find financing, save energy, and earn recognition.

The 43-page ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management contains a step-by-step road map for continuous improvement, based on best practices from the nation's leaders in energy management.

Bi-monthly magazine covering the green building industry.

This guide focuses on resources for teaching K-12 students about the environmental effects of pollution and waste and strategies for improving the environment. It also includes some industrial chemistry resources. This guide includes links to classroom activities, background and policy information, standards, and reference sources that teachers can use to develop their own environmental education lesson plans

This page features solutions to access capital and financing energy-efficiency projects in schools.

Indoor environments in schools affect children’s health and learning, but without indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, staff have limited data to inform interventions. The researchers aimed to demonstrate the utility of comprehensive real-time classroom IAQ monitoring for informing interventions and investments in schools.

The Go Green Initiative is a simple, comprehensive program designed to create a culture of environmental responsibility on school campuses across the nation.

Written by Gregory Kats, this report is intended to answer this fundamental question: how much more do green schools cost, and is greening schools cost effective? 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 less than 2% more than conventional schools - or about $3 per square foot ($3/ft2) - but provide financial benefits that are 20 times as large...

Evidence has accumulated that shows that the quality of indoor environments can affect the health and productivity of adults and children. One consequence is that a movement has emerged to promote the design of schools that have fewer adverse environmental effects. To examine the potential of such design for improving education, several private organizations asked the National Research Council (NRC) to review and assess the health and productivity benefits of green schools.

Promotes collaborative research and policy development and advanced systemic reforms in three core areas defining children’s environmental health at school: environmental public health services for children at risk or with suspected exposures at school; child-safe policies for housekeeping and purchasing (targeting indoor air pollutants, mercury, pesticides and other toxics and promoting the use of green and healthy/safer products) and; child-safe standards for school design, construction, and siting.

The Illinois Green Schools Project (IGSP) is an annual sustainability action and recognition program for K-12 schools in Illinois. The Illinois Green Alliance helps educators engage students and school stakeholders in hands-on projects that improve health, efficiency, and environmental impact.

Includes information on the school construction grant program for constructing and renovating schools in Illinois.

ISTC assists Illinois industries, businesses, and citizens to reduce and manage waste.

The following case studies are snapshots of school districts that have implemented the IAQ Tools for Schools guidance successfully — detailing how they have worked to achieve this success. Each profile demonstrates strategies from the Framework for Effective School IAQ Management that schools have applied to create effective and enduring IAQ programs.

IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit shows schools how to carry out a practical plan to improve indoor air problems at little- or no-cost using straightforward activities and in-house staff.

Describes how energy services performance contracts (ESPCs), tax-exempt lease-purchase agreements, energy efficiency bonds, and state green banks may offer you practical solutions when no money is available in the current budget for further improvements. Also provides clear financial reasoning and cost modeling, which demonstrate that energy efficiency projects really can pay for themselves within existing operating and capital budgets.

Natural light in classrooms can save energy and boost student performance, but facilities must be designed carefully to reap the benefits. From American School & University Magazine.

Describes different lamp technologies.

Portable, or "relocatable", classrooms have been a feature of many school districts for years. From a district's perspective, the two advantages of portable classrooms are low initial cost and short time between specification and occupancy. They are intended to provide flexibility to school districts, enabling quick response to demographic changes and providing the ability to be moved from one school to another as demographics change. In reality, portable classrooms are seldom moved and become permanent fixtures of the school.

This report describes how to control the costs of green building projects by summarizing the research done on that topic for the Alameda County Waste Management Authority (ACWMA), the California State and Consumer Services Agency (SCSA), California's Sustainable Building Task Force, and the California Department of General Services (DGS). (PDF Format; Length: 88 pages)

This senior thesis report examines construction and technical aspects of the Washington Christian Academy. The Washington Christian Academy is a private school serving K‐12 students in Olney, MD. This in depth analysis focuses on adding value to the school without substantially increasing costs. In many instances, significant value is added while actually decreasing costs and reducing the schedule.
Specifically, this report examines a critical issue that faces the construction industry today, the acoustics in the gymnasium, and the daylight in the classrooms.

The report suggests that high schools should undergo a careful individualized space before planning begins.

This document looks at some of the myths and misconceptions about energy in schools, and provides the facts that can help school districts make smart energy choices.

Directory of state energy offices from the National Association of State Energy Officials.

Part of the suite of products developed to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy in schools. It was developed specifically for architects and engineers who are responsible for designing or retrofitting schools, and for the project managers who work with the design teams.

The mission of the NEED Project is to promote an energy conscious and educated society by creating effective networks of students, educators, business, government and community leaders to design and deliver objective, multi-sided energy education programs.

NEED provides curriculum correlations to the National Science Education Standards, and provides projects, activities, as well as energy-related lessons (complete with student and teacher guides) on a wide range of topics.

Over the next seven years, at least 5,000 new schools will be designed and constructed to meet the needs of American students in kindergarten through grade 12 schools. National efforts are underway to encourage the use of daylighting, energy efficiency, and renewable energy technologies in school designs, which can significantly enhance the learning environment. Recent rigorous statisticalstudies, involving 21,000 students in three states, reveal that students perform better in daylit classrooms and indicate the health benefits of daylighting. This paper discusses the evidence regarding daylighting and student performance and development, and presents four case studies of schools that have cost effectively implemented daylighting into their buildings.

This study demonstrates the benefits of comprehensive school building (SB) energy efficiency (EE) improvements through building envelope renovations, lighting upgrades, and changes to cleaner heat sources. The parametric study in the building energy simulation software was used to check the application of various interventions on the energy consumption of existing SBs while reducing CO2 emissions with the most profitable return on investment (ROI). The energy savings from window replacements did not correspond with expectations. However, other measures such as the wall, roof insulation, and lighting modernization improved EE by up to 152 kWh/m2 and 41 kg/m2 CO2/m2 annually. The study also points to a significant trade-off between district heating (which reduces CO2 but has a slower ROI) and other heating solutions. The results suggest that climate-specific insulation thickness and glazing type needs are required, and optimal insulation strategies are shown to improve EE by 48–56% and CO2 reductions of 45–56%. Lighting replacement and biogas boiler use were both impactful. The findings support the importance of sustainable practices, which should stimulate educational awareness and environmental responsibility. This research presents actionable insights for EE and sustainable development from within educational facilities.

EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local options for recycling CFLs, fluorescent bulbs and other bulbs that contain mercury, and all other household hazardous wastes, rather than disposing of them in regular household trash.

This guidance is designed to present practical and often low-cost actions schools can take to identify and address existing or potential air quality problems. The guide gives current school staff information to perform a limited and well-defined set of basic operations and maintenance activities.

A virtual gallery of American School & University’s “Architectural Portfolio and Educational Interiors Showcase” issues. Includes case studies and examples of new schools. Challenges as well as designs are listed. The gallery offers an option to explore all or filter by grade level and state.

This checklist serves as a comprehensive guide for schools to evaluate their energy consumption patterns, and identify areas for improvement.

The Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) created a School Energy Policy and Education Plan template to help school communities develop an energy plan that addresses not only energy management policies, but also incorporates energy education into the curriculum school-wide.

Designed for K-12 school system business officials and facilities managers to meet the specific needs of school district staff for integrating energy efficiency into school building operation and maintenance. It not only provides technical information, but also organizational information on barriers, challenges, and the necessary steps required to develop this type of energy management program within the school district organizational structure. In addition, it contains case studies that are essential to providing experience-based observations and "real life" approaches to which school district staff can relate.

On May 22, more than 30 school district leaders, facility managers and education professionals gathered in person at Oakton College’s Skokie campus for the Greening Existing Schools Workshop. Over the course of a full day of learning—followed by a site tour at Loyola University Chicago's School of Environmental Sustainability—the workshop provided attendees with concrete tools, expert guidance and peer-tested strategies for tackling energy upgrades, indoor air quality (IAQ) improvements and funding challenges in aging school buildings.

Sizeable school systems should have a strategic energy management plan. The objective of requiring a strategic plan is to ensure that the school system is doing everything that is economically feasible to manage energy
consumption to hold down energy and water related expenditures while also having a positive impact on community environmental initiatives.

EPA's ENERGY STAR Target Finder is the no-cost online tool that enables architects and building owners to set energy targets and receive an ENERGY STAR energy performance score for projects during the design process. Projects that earn a score of 80 or higher may be eligible for Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR certification.

The Department of Energy (DOE) establishes energy-efficiency standards for certain appliances and equipment, and currently covers more than 70 different products. Authority to undertake this effort was granted by Congress, and DOE follows a four-phase process when reviewing existing and developing new standards. Each product page provides information on recent updates, current standards and test procedures, waivers, exceptions, and exemptions, statutory authority, and historical information. Includes consumer products, commercial and industrial products, lighting products, and plumbing products.

Presents information on key topics about establishing and enhancing healthy school environments.

LEED is the world’s premier green building certification system and applies to all buildings at all phases of development (design, construction, operations and maintenance). LEED buildings and communities can be found in over 180 countries around the globe, with around 2.2 million square feet being certified daily. From the Center for Green Schools.

This thesis investigates the adaptive reuse of abandoned school buildings in economically declining communities, mainly focusing on how these transformations can contribute to sustainable community revitalization. The research highlights Columbus, Ohio, where school closures and grade realignments threaten to leave many school properties vacant, especially in minority neighborhoods. This adaptive reuse strategy presents an opportunity to address issues such as urban decay, resource efficiency, and social equity by repurposing these buildings into multifunctional community assets. The study adopts a multi-method approach, including literature reviews, case study analysis, and community needs assessments, to identify best practices and critical challenges in adaptive reuse, such as regulatory obstacles and financial constraints. The research proposes a tailored framework for reimaging school buildings as hubs for community services, affordable housing, and cultural centers by reviewing successful examples from diverse regions and gathering stakeholder data. Findings suggest that adaptive reuse preserves school structures’ architectural and cultural heritage and offers a cost-effective, environmentally friendly strategy that aligns with sustainability goals. The proposed framework provides a practical roadmap for policymakers, developers, and communities, aiming to support adaptive reuse initiatives that foster sustainable urban renewal. This study concludes that adaptive reuse, mainly when supported by effective policy and green design practices, can catalyze revitalizing economically challenged communities.