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Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM, By Ali Hadian and Ben Sedighi
Photovoltaics can be a perfect energy match for the K-12 and university school day.
EnergySmart program sets the bar for today's schools
An energy-efficient school not only helps the environment, but also can provide a school district with a significant annual savings. The National School Boards Association estimates that as much as 25 percent of the energy used in a typical school is wasted because of inefficient systems and operations. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says an energy-efficient school district with 4,000 students can save as much as $212,000 a year in energy costs.
Created by the DOE, the EnergySmart Program is challenging education institutions to upgrade new schools to use energy 50 percent more efficiently than energy codes call for; at existing facilities, school systems should strive to improve energy efficiency by 30 percent within the next three years. The program seeks to save $2 billion a year, provide more healthful schools for students, and familiarize parents, students and faculty with affordable, advanced, energy-efficient technologies and practices.
PV systems can play a significant role, but achieving the EnergySmart Program goals will require the use of many energy-efficient strategies, including daylighting, replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, mechanical system upgrades, employing wind turbines and geothermal heat pumps, and more. For more information on the program, visit www.energysmartschools.gov.
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