Planning Steps
Deliberate planning is key to the success of an EnergySmart Schools project. This page describes the recommended planning steps, and provides recommendations for your planning process. The planning process allows the project team to carefully evaluate all factors that can affect design, construction, and maintenance before the design process begins. Ideally, the planning process should include:
- Assess Needs
- Identify Benchmarks
- Set and Prioritize Your Broad Goals
- Develop a Preliminary Budget and Financing Options
- Make the Case
- Set the Project Design Team
Assess Needs
First, conduct a needs assessment to roughly estimate what the new facility will require in space and functions. Then, consider forming an advisory group from your school and school district, including teachers, facilities management, and other key functions. Also consider including people from the local community and perhaps your state energy office who share your interest in energy efficiency and can help to define and champion the project.
Identify Benchmarks
With the help of the advisory group, look for energy-efficient schools similar to your project or in your climate zone that can serve as models or "benchmarks" for your project. Start with the case studies presented in the publications area. Also review design criteria for programs such as LEED through the U.S. Green Building Council, and California's Collaborative for High Performance Schools program. This research will give you ideas on the range of possibilities for your project.
Set and Prioritize Your Broad Goals
Typically, goals include minimizing consumption of purchased energy and other resources such as water, while also ensuring healthful air quality and comfort. Some districts also define goals for use of non-toxic, recycled, or locally sourced materials; onsite power generation from renewable sources; and purchase of "green" energy. In addition, some districts define educational goals related to their new facilities, including ways to incorporate the features and performance of their energy-efficient facility into curricula.
Develop a Preliminary Budget and Financing Options
With help from your advisory group, contact representatives at your benchmark schools to get a sense of project costs, including design, construction, and operations. Ask what kinds of financing packages they recommend. Diverse options are available to finance the designing and building of an energy-efficient school. See Financing for an overview of energy-performance contracting, equipment leasing, state incentives for energy efficiency, and other financing considerations.
Make the Case
Gain the support of your community through presentations to your school board and other key groups, such as the PTA, banks, and your utility company. Championing the cause of energy efficiency at a school requires educating various decision makers and bringing together disparate interests. While an increasing number of energy-efficient schools are being built across the United States, some people still have misperceptions about them, especially regarding the cost of construction.
Select the Project Design Team
A multidisciplinary project design team, with input from your advisory group, leads school design and construction efforts. Based on the broad goals you and your advisory group set for the facility, the project design team will define specific performance goals and measures, and then develop the design guidelines and technical specifications for all significant building systems and elements. Simulations, models, and life-cycle cost analysis are applied throughout the design process. The design is then translated into contract documents that allow the facility to be priced, permitted, and constructed. Guidelines on selecting project design team members can be found in the Design and Build section.