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Why Are Buildings & Materials Important?
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, buildings account for roughly 72 percent of America' s electricity use. Through employing environmentally sensitive building techniques, we can reduce our energy use, reduce pollution, and create healthier environments. The environmental quality of our schools impacts the quality of the learning processes within.
Construction of sustainable and high performance buildings is important to the conservation of our resources. Sustainable buildings provide healthier environments and improved air quality for staff and students, which is realized in fewer absences, more productivity, and higher student scores. Students in green schools are exposed to new environmental technologies and hands-on learning opportunities. Cost savings are realized through reduced operational and maintenance costs, lower utility bills and longer life cycles for buildings and materials.
About Green Buildings & Materials
Green building is the construction of sustainable, high performance buildings that reduce demand on our natural resources, such as energy and water. Green building practices and environmental awareness have increased in the past few years - as natural resources are being depleted and relationships between our health and the buildings are better understood. Green buildings improve the well-being of the occupants, protect the environment, and provide owner cost savings.
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Green Design Criteria & Design and Material Standards
BCPS designs and constructs buildings using green design criteria and material standards, which brings us closer to providing the optimal learning environment. To learn more about our Design Standards click here.
Green Products (e.g., earth-friendly cleaning supplies, recycled materials, etc.)
Part of the District’s efforts to build and maintain green is to incorporate environmentally sensitive products in our standards (e.g., paints, sealants, adhesives, cleaning products). To protect air quality and minimize pollutants, products and materials that are non-toxic (that do not emit hazardous odors but are low emitting and mold resistant) should be used.
“Volatile Organic Compound” (VOC) is the name given to a substance that contains carbon and that evaporates or off-gases. VOCs are commonly found in paints, carpets, composite wood products, adhesives, waxes, and cleaning product chemicals. VOCs have an impact on the air quality in our buildings. The use of green products with low VOCs supports a healthy learning and working environment.
Visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site to learn more about green products, or what they call Environmentally Preferable Purchasing. The State of Florida developed a Climate Friendly Products List. The list can be found here.
LEED Certified Buildings
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), outlines the implementation of green criteria and standards in the selection and development of sites and in the use of materials and practices. LEED is one of the nationally recognized benchmark systems for rating the sustainability and high performance of buildings and materials. It allows for certification of buildings through adherence to a flexible point system with four levels – Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.
The LEED system uses a third party to verify that a building is designed and built using green strategies. LEED certification looks for measures that impact energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, protection of the natural environment, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
Sustainable Materials (e.g., low odor paints, recycled carpets, etc.)
Sustainable materials are those that focus on high efficiency and durability and are environmentally responsive. A sustainable material or a sustainable resource is said to be one whose production is supported indefinitely by nature. In general, sustainable materials have the following qualities:
- Recycled content
- Natural, plentiful or renewable
- Resource-efficient manufacturing process
- Locally available
- Salvaged, refurbished or remanufactured
- Durable
- Non-toxic
- Minimal chemical emissions
- Low VOC assembly
- Moisture resistant
- Healthfully maintained – easy to clean
Examples of sustainable materials include:
- Carpet (tiles and broadloom) containing recycled content and without VOCs
- Wall panels – PVC & VOC free
- Paints without VOCS
- Linoleum – antimicrobial and made from rapidly renewable resources
The durability of materials is an important factor when accessing the life cycle of buildings. Sustainable materials have a longer life cycle and require fewer replacements.
Technical Specifications
To learn specific details about our technical specifications click here.
The Next Generation Classroom
The Classroom of the Green Generation will be a healthy environment built with sustainable materials and powered by solar or other renewable energy sources. It will include day lighting controlled by sensors and supplemental electric lighting sources (used only as needed); natural ventilation; rain harvesting; interactive smart boards; high efficiency mechanical, electrical and lighting systems; low VOC products furniture; and low maintenance flooring, wall systems and finishes. It will be cleaned with “green” non-toxic products. It will include interactive learning tools where students will see first-hand how daily practices affect air quality, the use of energy and water, and how they relate to cost savings. Broward is hoping to demonstrate sustainable technologies and use the classroom as a teaching tool to expose students to new technologies.
The benefits of providing green classrooms are measurable. The Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools states that a comparative study found that in a classroom with the most day lighting, students’ learning progressed 20 percent faster in math. Other studies also show that students in classrooms with a high amount of day lighting and improved indoor air quality learned faster in both math and reading.
What Broward Schools Are Doing
In response to its Environmental Policy and Strategic Plan, the District has " greened" all Design Criteria and Design & Material Standards (technical specifications). These standards are tied to LEED Credits and will allow the District to choose LEED certification for buildings as desired. The official date of posting for these updated documents will be December 1, 2009. Language in the selection criteria within our RFQs/RFPs, our consultant and construction contracts, and Division " 0" and Division " 1" documents are also being revised to support the overall effort of our environmental goals.
In the future, Stranahan HS Replacement School will be the District' s first LEED certified school. The research of " green" products, sustainable materials, and energy efficient systems for use in the District is ongoing. Several District Environmental Pilot Projects are listed below:
- Solar roof panels
- Solar powered flashers at various schools
- Waterless urinals and water conserving fixtures
- Irrigation water conservation projects at 25 schools
- Hybrid vehicles
- Porous concrete exterior courtyard
- High efficiency electrical transformers
- Energy efficient lighting installations
- Habitat restorations in several schools
- Polished concrete flooring
- Water re-use projects
What You Can Do
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The Three " R' s" are a great reminder.
- Use renewable materials. Rapidly renewable materials are plants that are harvested within a ten-year cycle, such a bamboo, wheatboard, strawboard and cork.
- Look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label. Purchase wood to support responsible forest management practices.
- Get involved! Look up your local chapter of the USGBC or the Florida Green Building Coalition to learn more about green building.
- Purchase green products. Look for the Energy Star label and other and energy efficient equipment.
- Get active! Urge your local officials to build green.
- When you build green, you help yourself and the environment!
Links
California Integrated Waste Management Board
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/greenbuilding/Materials
Florida Green Building Coalition
http://www.floridagreenbuilding.org/db/
USGBC Build Green Schools
http://www.buildgreenschools.org/