Earlier this year I shared the good news that Richardsville Elementary School was working towards becoming the first net-zero energy public school. As you can imagine, that is quite an undertaking and will be quite an accomplishment when it opens. Well…..as good news would have it, construction is nearing completion and Richardsville Elementary is on target to be open by the end of August!

As principal architect on this project, Kenny Stanfield AIA and LEED® AP (Accredited Professional), described it:

“For our team, the goal of achieving a net zero school was simply the next step – to go from a proven, design operating facility (Plano) that requires only 28 kBtus of energy per square foot annually to a facility that needs 18 kBtus to operate.”

The design for this net zero energy school was even awarded the Green Design Concept Winner 2008 Green Education Design Showcase.

Now, if you are unfamiliar with the term “net zero building”, it basically describes a structure that generates as much (or more) energy than it needs to operate. It does that through renewable energy resources such as wind and solar.  This doesn’t mean it isn’t connected to the electric grid, but it does mean the building itself generates more energy than it consumes.

Besides the fact that it completely generates its own energy, Richardsville Elementary is a relatively “typical” school in that it has classrooms, a gymnasium, cafeteria, library, etc. Another difference though is that it was designed and built as a tool to educate students on the value of energy conservation, solar, water conservation, recycling and more.

Let’s take a look at some of the features that take Richardsville Elementary up to the next level in educational building standards.

First there is the design layout of the school property:

As you can see, it includes a full array of solar panels on the main building as well as the covered drop-off/pick-up area in the parking lot. Renewable materials were used during construction whenever possible and ICFs (Insulated Concrete Forms) were used as a green construction measure to provide smart insulation. Additionally the building was laid out in a north-south site orientation in order to increase solar output and naturally conserve energy.

As you can tell from this picture of the front entrance, the building has a clerestory spine running down the middle of the building. This was designed to allow for maximum natural daylight and minimal lighting costs. The windows themselves are made from Nanogel® filled sandwich panel glass to provide a nice aesthetic for the building without lowering energy efficiency.

This photo shows the rear of the school building, with the media center on the second floor and a covered outdoor classroom below it. The stair towers to the left and right are encased by windows and decorated by sunshades at each level to minimize heat/glare.

The south facing facade (classrooms) clearly shows the use of daylighting as well as the incorporation of sunshade devices in the design and practicality of the building.

The new gymnasium floor was made mostly from bamboo with the dark hardwood sections salvaged from the old gymnasium. Acoustical wall panels were added to give the room optimum acoustics. You can also see a bit of the clerestory daylighting in place here as well.

With regard to the kitchen area, Energy Star rated equipment was used and combi-ovens were chosen as a healthier option to traditional fryers and skillets. So not only will the cafeteria be energy-efficient, it will be able to provide healthier food choices to the students as well.

In terms of overall construction costs, the building and site itself ran about $12,160,000 with the solar/Photovoltaic costs adding an additional $2,753,124. Bringing the total construction costs to a little under $15 million. As the building is 77,466 sq ft, that breaks down to approximately $193 per sq ft.

One note though, as this is a net zero building, the project was able to get a federal bloc grant through the Kentucky Dept of Energy for 50% of the solar costs.

If you are interested, you can follow some of the final construction via the Warren County Public Schools’ webcam.

A special thank you to Kenny Stanfield from Sherman-Carter-Barnhart for providing me with photos and additional information on this great accomplishment of the first net-zero energy school – Richardsville Elementary in Warren County, Kentucky. For more information on Sherman-Carter-Barnhart’s other green projects, you can check out their website.

Congratulations to all involved! Building the first net zero energy school is definitely a historical moment and hopefully there will be many more schools following suit. I can’t wait to hear more about Richardsville Elementary once school is in session.

Image via eric_arbras

Electric vehicles are gearing up to become the next best thing since sliced bread, aren’t they? Well, that may be what the EV auto makers would like us to believe, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just quite yet. I mean what good is an electric vehicle without a charge?

At this point most electric vehicles are reported to get a maximum of 100-200 miles per charge. With limited charging stations, where are those EVs going to “fill up” if they’re away from home? A lack of charging stations is going to seriously limit the mobility and practicality of the electric vehicle.

Image by felixkramer

First take a look at some of the hottest electric vehicles we can expect to see on the roads in the new future. From the Nissan LEAF to the Chevy Volt to the Tesla Roadster and more, these electric vehicles are looking to make a major change in what people drive and how they get around.

Make no mistake, if the electric vehicles can gain the popularity auto makers are hoping for, they can make a serious dent in lowering harmful emissions. They also require less maintenance, they can be charged using solar power and they are much more energy-efficient overall. But that now brings us back to charging stations.

Without charging stations littering major highways and thoroughfares, driving your vehicle long distances will simply not be an option. Luckily that’s where companies like BetterPlace and Coulomb Technologies (with their ChargePoint® Network) come into play.

Image from coulombtech.com

Coulomb Technologies is aiming to place their charging stations at homes, existing gas stations, rest stops, curbside parking spots, businesses and more. They think (as do I) that if you are going to have an electric vehicle it should be just as convenient, if not more convenient, to get it charged up.

You can even suggest locations for charging stations if there aren’t enough ChargePoint charging stations near you. They also have a recently released iPhone app for your convenience to help you find charging stations, check availability, receive messages when your vehicle is charged and more.

Better Place aims to provide not only access to charging stations worldwide, but to battery switching stations and other services essential to making the EV driver experience a pleasant one.

Until that point, I’m afraid it’ll be just hit and miss. Check out this Southern California EV charging station map for example. I thought it was interesting that some users made comments that the location they used didn’t even realize they had an EV charging station. Wow!

So, if you are considering getting an electric vehicle, I highly recommend you do your research first. Otherwise you may end up with an electric vehicle that doesn’t get used as it should.

Hopefully though, sooner rather than later, we’ll start seeing charging stations pop up at every “gas station” up and down the highway. Until that point, work on driving less and driving smarter.

Image by Todd Mecklem

Image by Heather Elias

Mother’s Day is fast approaching. Do you have anything special planned for your mother? Are you taking her out to eat? Are you buying her gifts? Are you taking her to the spa? Well, if you don’t already have something planned (or even if you do), what about doing one of these more bio-friendly Mother’s Day ideas?

1) Take your mom on a walk: Most moms love spending time with their kids. But how long has it been since you’ve spent some one-on-one time with your mom? I mean just the two of you. You can talk, reminisce, laugh and just enjoy each other’s company. Even though it doesn’t cost anything, it’s the kind of memory you both will cherish.

Image by mikebaird

Besides think of the emissions, gas and money you will save by going on a walk rather than driving somewhere. It’ll be good for both of you to get outdoors and get some fresh air too.

2) Give your mom a scrapbook or photo album: Whether you live nearby or far away, moms love seeing pictures of you and your family. (Trust me, they do.) Putting together a simple photo album, while it may be a more time-consuming gift, will be worth the effort.

Image by ali edwards

Plus, if you make your scrapbook or photo album from stuff you have around the house, not only are you are recycling materials, and saving gas and energy by not driving to a store, you are saving money at the same time. It’s a win/win.

3) Make your mom a special meal: Mother’s Day doesn’t need to be a consumer-driven holiday. You don’t HAVE to go out to eat or buy lots of expensive gifts in order to show your mom you care.

Why not make your mom one of her favorite meals? Even if you aren’t the best cook (like me), you and your siblings could team up and make something mom would enjoy. I know my mom would probably be beside herself if I made her a Mother’s Day dinner.

Image by kimberlykv

There are also the extra benefits of not having to drive to the restaurant, try and find parking, wait in line with all the other people who are taking their mothers out for Mother’s Day, pay for an expensive meal, try and carry on a conversation in a loud, crowded restaurant, etc.

4) Take mom to the Farmer’s Market:  If you really feel the need to go shopping with/for your mom on Mother’s Day, how about a trip to the local farmer’s market? You can shop together, maybe even plan a great Mother’s Day meal together and spend some quality time with your mom.

Image by Yodel Anecdotal

If you live close enough, you can even walk or ride your bikes. And don’t forget your re-usable bags so you don’t need to get plastic bags for all your farmer’s market goodies!

5) Send your mom a home-made care package: Sometimes it isn’t feasible to visit mom on Mother’s Day, but that doesn’t mean she can’t get a great care package from you. Some creative items for your care package include:

- home-made yummies (baked goods, canned fruits/veggies, etc),

- seeds to plant herbs, veggies or flowers in her garden,

- pre-seeded containers with her favorite flower or herb,

- home-made card or gift from you (and the kids),

- a scrapbook or even a CD with photos on it,

- and simplest of all, include a poem or letter written by you to your mom to let her know just how much she means to you.

Image by Supernan

Remember, it’s not how much something costs that makes it valuable. Sometimes the simplest activities or gestures from family are valued the most. What are your plans and ideas for a biofriendly Mother’s Day?