CHPS Schoolkit Presentation
To request a free CHPS Overview PowerPoint presentation please contact CHPS at 877-642-CHPS. Click here for the .pdf version of the presentation. For the notes to go with the slides click here.

Financial Incentive Programs

The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy.

Monetary Resources for K - 12 Sustainable School and Public Building Construction in California. A compilation of federal, state, local, and utility financial incentive programs available to high performance schools.

Savings By Design promotes energy-efficient design in new construction and renovation projects with financial incentives and technical resources for designers, contractors, and building owners. The program is funded by California utility ratepayers and is administered by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and Southern California Gas under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission, and is available for any school district within their territories. The financial performance-based incentives increase with the energy efficiency of the design and can be a significant source of additional funds.

In addition, Savings By Design offers technical assistance and project-specific design assistance to the school design community. Savings By Design sponsors training and continuing education in integrated school design practice (e.g., daylighting systems, proper HVAC sizing integrating internal loads from other end uses, proper HVAC installation, and building system modeling).

Zero-Water Consumption Urinals Available through "Green School Fund" Program. Falcon Waterfree Technologies is piloting a new program in Northern California open to school districts and Higher Ed institutions having an expressed, written commitment to sustainable practices. Combined with available rebates from local water districts and agencies, Falcon's "Green School Fund" Program is intended to make district and campus-wide installations of its waterfree fixtures financially feasible, if not actually at zero cost. Besides eliminating the waste of up to 40,000 gallons of water per year with every flush urinal replaced, significant reductions in water/sewer and plumbing maintenance costs are also achieved. For information on Falcon Waterfree's technology, see www.falconwaterfree.com.

<back to top>

• ADPSR Architectural Resource Guide
• Alameda County's Green Building Resource Guide
• CIWMB's RCP Database
• DSAs Environmental Preferable Products Database
• Low-Emitting Materials Products List
  This table lists products that have been certified to meet Section 01350 -- the CHPS Low-Emitting Materials criteria -- for use in a typical classroom.
• Oikos Green Product Information
• U.S. EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG)

Studies & Research

K-12 Public School Systems are in the Construction Business - 2005. School systems in the U.S. are not only in the business of education, they are also in the construction business according to the results of a new survey conducted by FMI in conjunction with CEFPI (the Council for Education Facilities Planners).  According to the FMI K-12 School Construction Management Survey Report , the magnitude of school construction and renovation/modernization projects in the nation's largest school systems indicates that school systems need to think and act more like the largest owners in the nation.  (See page 20- High Performance Protocols and Sustainability).

Acceptance Criteria Document AC M-1: Zero-Water Consumption Urinal Fixtures. This Acceptance Criteria (AC) document establishes requirements for waterless urinals for use in projects -- such as public schools -- under the Division of the State Architect jurisdiction, in accordance with referenced provisions of Title 24.

Audio Enhanced Classroom Research. This study examines the effectiveness of audio enhanced classrooms on the school learning environment and student performance with schools located throughout the United States.

California Portable Classrooms Study Report to the Legislature provides more information on the Portable Classrooms Study by the Air Resources Board-Dept. Health Services. You may want to read the legislative report first and sign up to be on their list serve to receive regular updates.

Case Study: High Performance Learning. Building high performance schools is in vogue. Today, many school districts are working with utilities, design teams, and the state of California to build quality learning environments that are energy-efficient and cost-effective. A recent Energy Design resources case study describes two school projects, the Isla Vista Elementary School and the Southeast Learning Center. Both schools integrated innovative designs into their schools to control energy costs, yet provide great learning environments.

Commissioning Assistant Tool. Energy Design Resources' Commissioning Assistant Tool is a web-based reference designed to provide project specific commissioning information to the desigjn team.

The Cost-Effectiveness of Commercial-Buildings Commissioning (2004). A Meta-Analysis of Energy and Non-Energy Impacts in Existing Buildings and New Construction in the United States conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Costing Green: A Comprehensive Cost Database and Budgeting Methodology. This study by Davis Langdon research group (July 2004) provides analysis of construction costs for sustainably designed buildings.

Design Brief: Displacement Ventilation. Displacement ventilation (DV) is a technology that simultaneously provides improved indoor air quality, reduced energy use and superior acoustics when compared to conventional overhead mixing ventilation systems.   Research conducted for the Public Interest Energy Research Program sponsored by the California Energy Commission evaluated the system’s potential for California K-12 schools.  CFD simulations and experimental mockups conducted with the Halton Company verified the supply air conditions required for California classrooms.  Two demonstration sites, Coyote Ridge Elementary in Roseville, CA and Kinoshita Elementary in San Juan Capistrano, CA showed that the system is effective in both coastal and inland climates.  Performance monitoring data indicated that the DV system provides a reduced carbon dioxide level in the breathing zone, a sign of improved indoor air quality.  When compared to adjacent classrooms that use overhead mixing ventilation systems, DV provided a reduction of 4 to 8 dBA in background sound levels.  The second demonstration featured a prototype HVAC design for DV with a single four-ton packaged rooftop unit.  Between September 2005 and May 2006, the DV HVAC system used 21% less energy than a conventional HVAC unit with mixing ventilation.  The manufacturer is continuing development of the unit and plans to have a product available to the market in late 2007.  More information including PIER project reports can be found at: http://www.archenergy.com/ieq-k12.  A detailed design guide for displacement ventilation in K-12 schools will be published this summer.

Do School Facilities Affect Academic Outcomes? This National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) report examines the current research on how school facilities affect student performance. The report addresses the following building attributes: indoor air quality, ventilation, and thermal comfort; lighting; acoustics; building age and quality; school size; and class size.

The Heschong Mahone Group Daylighting in Schools Case Study (1999) examines the relationship between daylighting and human performance.

The Heschong Mahone Group Productivity and Interior Environments Case Study. A second study designed to expand the findings of their 1999 case study, Daylighting in Schools.

Improving Classroom Comfort with Standard 62. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have released a report on the effect of humidity and ventilation on classroom IAQ. The study found that schools with increased ventilation and humidity control had an absentee rate that was nine percent lower on average compared to other schools.

The National Clearinghouse of Educational Facilities (NCEF) was created in 1997 by the Department of Education as a repository of information resources for people who plan, design, build, and maintain K-12 schools. The robust and well-designed site covers every major topic concerning education facilities with useful links to media and journal articles and energy management manuals and program Internet site.

National Review of Green Schools: Costs, Benefits, and Implications for Massachusettes. This report documents the financial costs and benefits of green schools compared to conventional schools. Making schools green is very cost-effective. A national review of 30 green schools and analysis of available research demonstrate that green schools cost 1.5% to 2.5% more than conventional schools, but provide financial benefits that are 10 to 20 times as large. Green schools provide a range of additional benefits that were not quantified in this report, including reduced teacher sick days, reduced operations and maintenance costs, reduced insured and uninsured risks, improved power quality and reliability, increased state competitiveness, reduced social inequity, and educational enrichment. There is insufficient data to quantify these additional benefits, but they are significant and, if calculated, would substantially increase the recognized financial benefits of greening schools. Building Green schools is today significantly more fiscally prudent and at lower risk than continuing to build unhealthy, inefficient schools. Capital E Web site.

Recommended Code/Guideline Actions to Include Ultraviolet Lamps for Coil Cleaning in Schools. This white paper provides an overview of the benefits of UVC systems, sizing procedures, safety issues, recent field experience, the importance of coil cleaning and a comparison of UVC with traditional coil cleaning methods. The paper addresses efforts that are needed to address building degradation with time in existing codes and standards (including CHPS) and the need for a maintaining coil cleanliness in conditions that are likely to produce substantial fouling.

Remedies for Reducing Formaldehyde in Schools. The California Air Resources Board and Department of Health Services has issued recommendations on reducing the levels of the toxic carcinogen, formaldehyde, in classrooms.

SCE Classroom Lighting Guide. Southern California Edison's Classroom Lighting Guide supplements CHPS guidelines specific to Southern California's climate and geography. This resource can facilitate your goal to improve the classroom learning environment by reducing glare, avoiding direct sunlight and using daylight to the best advantage--all while saving energy and money.

Strategies to Reduce Environmental Factors That Contribute to Asthma in Children. A report by the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) and the Association of State and Terrirotial Health Officials (ASTHO).

Sustainable Schools. The Division of the State Architect's all-new website contains a comprehensive compilation of resources on sustainable school construction issues that is helpful to designers, developers, and construction professionals interested and involved in high performance schools. The Division of the State Architect, California's policy leader in building design and construction, provides design and construction oversight to K-12 schools and community colleges.

Turner Green Building Survey. A new study conducted by Bayer Consulting indicates that green buildings enhance student performance and ability to retain teachers. Total long-term costs were lower than perceived, yet lack of awareness and misperception of higher construction costs are still primary obstacles. The focus of this survey was both on K-12 and higher education facilities.

<back to top>