Buckley Elementary School in Manchester, Conn., is on track to becoming a net-zero energy school

Renovations at Buckley Elementary School in Manchester, Conn., will make it  a net-zero-energy facility. 

The upgrades to the 70-year-old building will provide the Manchester (Conn.) district with sustainable energy and enable it to reduce operating costs, The Journal Inquirer reports.

To become a net-zero building, the facility must generate as much energy as it uses. Solar panels on the school's roof and a geothermal heating and cooling system will enable Buckley to achieve net-zero status.

A 360kW roof-mounted solar array will generate enough energy annually to meet all of the 67,357-square-foot building’s demand, according to the CMTA architect team that designed the building.

The $29.4 million renovation is scheduled for completion in 2022.