The Inevitable Solar School

Building the Sustainable Schools of the Future, Today

Mark Hanson

“The Inevitable Solar School: Building the Sustainable School of the Future, Today” describes the two major forces that are driving public and private schools and other buildings to solar energy. These forces are the recognition of climate change and the cost advantage of on-site solar energy. Either force would be sufficient reason on its own to change the school market, but in combination they become indominable.

Sustainability has emerged as a widely accepted theme in school building design. Daylight and views, indoor air quality, responsible life-cycle materials selection, and energy and water efficiency are expected features. This book adds on-site solar energy, sufficient in many instances to meet all of a school’s energy requirement, as a critical element of sustainability. The zero energy school is the sustainable school of the future.

Contrary to common expectations, zero energy sustainable schools are being built at costs that are competitive with regional school cost averages. This outcome requires teamwork between school administrators and their design and construction professionals, and the use of deliberate planning and procurement processes. Five case studies spanning the U.S. demonstrate that the sustainable school of the future is here today.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 176 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-4758-4419-1 • Hardback • September 2019 • $79.00 • (£61.00)

978-1-4758-4420-7 • Paperback • August 2019 • $40.00 • (£30.00)

978-1-4758-4421-4 • eBook • August 2019 • $38.00 • (£30.00)

Subjects: Education / Administration / Facility Management, Technology & Engineering / Power Resources / Alternative & Renewable, Education / Current Issues

The Inevitable Solar School

Building the Sustainable Schools of the Future, Today

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

“The Inevitable Solar School: Building the Sustainable School of the Future, Today” describes the two major forces that are driving public and private schools and other buildings to solar energy. These forces are the recognition of climate change and the cost advantage of on-site solar energy. Either force would be sufficient reason on its own to change the school market, but in combination they become indominable.

Sustainability has emerged as a widely accepted theme in school building design. Daylight and views, indoor air quality, responsible life-cycle materials selection, and energy and water efficiency are expected features. This book adds on-site solar energy, sufficient in many instances to meet all of a school’s energy requirement, as a critical element of sustainability. The zero energy school is the sustainable school of the future.

Contrary to common expectations, zero energy sustainable schools are being built at costs that are competitive with regional school cost averages. This outcome requires teamwork between school administrators and their design and construction professionals, and the use of deliberate planning and procurement processes. Five case studies spanning the U.S. demonstrate that the sustainable school of the future is here today.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 176 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-4758-4419-1 • Hardback • September 2019 • $79.00 • (£61.00)

978-1-4758-4420-7 • Paperback • August 2019 • $40.00 • (£30.00)

978-1-4758-4421-4 • eBook • August 2019 • $38.00 • (£30.00)

Subjects: Education / Administration / Facility Management, Technology & Engineering / Power Resources / Alternative & Renewable, Education / Current Issues

Author

Mark Hanson is an innovator in the design and construction of sustainable commercial buildings including schools. A portfolio of buildings designed and built through collaborative team efforts at Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction and informed by his background at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Energy Center of Wisconsin, serve as a laboratory for exploring the path forward for solar schools.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Section 1: Contemplating a New or Remodeled School

Chapter 1- What Do You Expect in a New School Building?

Chapter 2- A Report Card on Our School Building Stock

Chapter 3- Where Do We Want to Go?

Chapter 4- How Do We Span the Divide between Here and There?

Chapter 5- The Inevitability of Solar Schools

Section 2- Departure

Chapter 6- So, You Want a Sustainable Solar School

Chapter 7- Encountering Fearful Buyers and Obstructionists

Chapter 8- Solar PV Systems and Intelligent Schools

Chapter 9- Technological and Financial Hurdles and Resources

Chapter 10- Acquiring a Solar School

Section 3- Finding the Main Current: Case Studies

Chapter 11- Northern High School

Chapter 12- East Coast Elementary School

Chapter 13- West Coast Middle School

Chapter 14- Old Elementary School in the Sierra Nevada Foothills

Chapter 15- Southern Elementary School

Section 4- What Lies Ahead

Chapter 16- Technological and Economic Forces

Chapter 17- The River Ahead

Glossary
About the Author

Index

Reviews

Zero energy buildings are a key strategy for meeting long-term energy and climate objectives. Schools are a great place to start as there are many good examples and they can be a great teaching tool for today’s youth who will become the leaders of tomorrow. The Inevitable Solar School provides a road map on why and how to build these schools, including extensive case studies that school administrators and designers can learn from.
— Steven Nadel, Executive Director, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

Mark Hanson has authored a visionary, timely and practical book on the implementation of zero net energy solar schools and buildings. As a professional resource economist, with extensive experience in the building industry, Dr. Hanson provides a motivating hands-on “how-to” book, with a wealth of technical, financial, and institutional guidelines as well as extensive case studies covering a wide range of school types and locations. This book should be mandatory reading today for school administrators, facility managers, business managers, board members, community members, teachers, students and building professionals who have the opportunity to evaluate and build a zero net energy school, including new buildings and retrofits.
— Dr. Wesley K. Foell, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Founder and President, Resource Management Associates of Madison

Schools touch the lives of many on a daily basis and nearly everyone has been reached at some time through a school. These buildings are a perfect transition point of shifting buildings from “taking” to buildings that can give back—through producing more energy than then consume. There is no reason for schools to be anything but zero energy moving forward, and this book provides the motivation and rationale to help make zero energy schools commonplace.
— Paul Torcellini, Principal Engineer, Commercial Buildings Research Group, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)