Premier High Performance School Protocol Meets Demand for Greening Existing Buildings
November 24, 2009 Lexington, MASS - More communities throughout the Northeast planning for school modernization projects can now recognize the health, environmental and economic benefits of a high performance school. In addition to new construction projects, the Northeast Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) now incorporates major renovations to existing buildings into its protocol criteria, Northeast-CHPS 2.0.
Modeled after California's pioneering CHPS guide, Northeast-CHPS 2.0 is a set of building and design standards for the construction or renovation of energy efficient, environmentally friendly, healthy school facilities from pre-K through community colleges.
The protocol was developed collaboratively by Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) with input from stakeholders across the region. While the CHPS protocol is nationally recognized for excellence in building standards, the protocol is unique in that it takes into account regional and state anomalies to make it relevant for the diverse needs of communities, and the priorities of the departments of education across, the country.
"Northeast-CHPS has been tailored specifically for our region's state building code requirements, the climate, and the environmental priorities of the Northeast," says Carolyn Sarno, NEEP's High Performance Buildings Program Manager, and Vice-Chair of the National CHPS Board. "Thanks to the collaborative contributions from the regions' Departments of Education, the updates to the Northeast-CHPS protocol in version 2.0 represent the latest in best practices for building and renovating schools that are energy efficient, healthy and well-maintained learning environments."
About the Protocol
Northeast-CHPS specifies performance standards and best practices for energy efficient, sustainable school building design and construction. It continues to place a special focus on the policy and operations of high performance schools, outlining policies that schools can adopt to ensure their buildings operate as intended.
"The key to building an energy-efficient high performance school is both the design process and what happens after the building is occupied," continues Sarno. "The Policy and Operations prerequisites in the Northeast CHPS protocol are written to define a strategy that guides the district in coordinating operations and maintenance plans with financial and procurement plans."
New for NE-CHPS 2.0
Schools may now earn credits for implementing plans for carbon footprinting and achieving zero net energy status by the year 2030. New elective features also encourage schools to attain superior energy performance and maximize the benefits of renewable energy technologies. Basic changes to the school environment, such as implementing a "dark campus" policy that keeps all interior and exterior lighting off after hours, can have dramatic benefits for the bottom line and the health of the planet.
CHPS in Action around the Region
States in the region are recognizing the health, economic, and physical benefits of supporting schools to build to high performance standards. In Massachusetts the MSBA (Mass School Building Authority) offers a 1.5 to 2 percent incentive for money spent towards energy efficiency in the context of designing towards MA CHPS certification, while the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative offers grants to schools for reimbursement of costs associated with renewable energy installation and/or building design when building to MA-CHPS standards.
School districts in New Hampshire may receive up to an additional three percent in state construction aid for completion of projects that build to Northeast CHPS criteria.
"We are confident that by building to Northeast CHPS standards we will be constructing better school buildings that will meet the needs of our communities for many years," says Edward R. Murdough, Administrator of the Bureau of School Approval & Facility Management. "The Northeast CHPS Protocol has been adopted by statute as New Hampshire's standard for High Performance Schools. Our team of educators, school administrators, design professionals, builders, and others has thoroughly reviewed the latest version of Northeast CHPS to ensure that the new protocol will continue to meet our expectations for High Performance Schools. We anticipate using the protocol for several upcoming projects because we know that Northeast-CHPS truly fits the priorities of this region."
In Rhode Island, the state has gone as far to adopt Northeast CHPS as the design standard for all school construction in the state. Joseph Paul da Silva, School Construction Coordinator for the Rhode Island Department of Education explains, "Our children's future is dependent on the education they receive and the environment they inherit, and the NE CHPS protocol helps to improve both."
CHPS SCHOOLS IN THE NORTHEAST:
Massachusetts: Blackstone Valley Technical High School, Upton; Collicot-Cunningham Elementary, Milton; Holten-Richmond Middle School, Danvers; Quincy Street Elementary, Brockton; Veterans Memorial Middle School, Melrose; Whitman Hanson Regional HS, Hanson; Ashland High School, Ashland; Berkshire Hills Regional MS, Great Barrington; Beverly High School, Centerville Elementary, Beverly; Dedham Middle School, Dedham; Great Falls MS/Turners Falls HS, Montague; Newton South High School, Newton; Wachusett Regional High School, Holden; Williamstown Elementary, Williamstown; Woburn Memorial High School, Woburn; Bridgewater Raynham Regional HS, Bridgewater; Dr. Albert F Argenziano School at Lincoln Park, Somerville; Freeman Centennial ES, Norfolk; Lincoln Elementary School, New Bedford; Manchester-Essex Regional JHS/HS, Manchester by the Sea; Putnam Vocational High School, Springfield; Quincy High School, Quincy; Worcester North High School, Worcester
Rhode Island: Nathan Bishop Middle School, Providence; High School, Middle School, and other district-wide renovations, East Greenwich; Providence Career & Technical Education Center, Providence; Cole Middle School, East Greenwich; New East Bay MET school, Newport; Exeter-West, Greenwich; Central Falls District wide renovations; Scituate Middle High School, Scituate; Westerly High School, Westerly; Chariho Middle School and High School, Chariho; Compass School..
New Hampshire: Merrimack Valley Middle School, Penacook; Profile School, Bethlehem; Laconia Middle School, Laconia; Mason Elementary School, Mason; TNT Alternative School, Keene Middle School, Keene; Kingswood High School, Wolfeboro; Portsmouth Middle School, Portsmouth; New elementary school, Somersworth.
ABOUT NEEP
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) is a regional nonprofit organization founded in 1996 whose mission is to promote the efficient use of energy in homes, buildings and industry in the Northeast U.S. through regionally coordinated programs and policies that increase the use of energy efficient products, services and practices, and that help achieve a cleaner environment and a more reliable and affordable energy system. For more information, visit www.neep.org.