School Modernization Efforts Should Prioritize Energy Efficiency
With half of Virginian schools over 50 years old, school modernization is becoming imperative in the state.
School modernization efforts should place emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable energy integration in order to create healthier, more cost-effective schools.
Schools don’t need to be brand new to be energy efficient; it’s actually cheaper to retrofit existing school buildings to meet energy efficient standards than it is to build an entirely new school.
Like many other localities in Virginia, Arlington County, in the northern part of the state, has seen tremendous population growth over the course of the past decade. New residents means new students, and once there’s too many new students to fit in existing schools, localities find themselves needing to build new schools. When Arlington County opened up Discovery Elementary in 2015, it not only provided new learning space for a burgeoning population, it also opened up a net zero energy building, meaning that the school produces as much energy as it uses each year.
Net zero energy schools come with several upsides. Discovery Elementary has become a living classroom, providing countless opportunities for students to learn about saving energy and sustainability. The money the school would have spent on utility costs is able to cover the salaries of two additional teachers. Impressively, the cost of constructing the school came in under budget.
While Discovery Elementary stands out as a model for schools in the 21st century, most other schools in the commonwealth are in need of modernization. A report released this summer by the Virginia Department of Education revealed that of the 2,005 school buildings in Virginia, 41% are either at or above student capacity, and another 29% are nearing student capacity. Half of school buildings in Virginia are more than 50 years old. The total cost of planned school improvement projects currently stands at over $9.9 billion.
Virginia schools are clearly in dire need of modernization. Yet, the General Assembly has balked at a number of attempts from both sides of the aisle in recent years to issue funding for school modernization efforts. Nonetheless, during this fiscal year, Virginia school divisions will have to spend over $1 billion on construction costs. As much as possible, these funds should be used for renovations and new construction that aims for energy efficiency and integration of renewable energy technology in schools.
In prioritizing energy efficiency in school modernization, school divisions can work to reduce their carbon emissions while saving money. Investing in windows that prevent heating and air conditioning from escaping the building keeps students feeling comfortable in the classroom and helps cut down on energy costs. Modern insulation and HVAC systems will yield similar benefits. School roofs make for a convenient location to site solar panels, which can help power both the building and nearby communities.
Modernizing schools to improve energy efficiency doesn’t require building a brand new building. In fact, existing schools can be retrofitted to meet high energy efficiency standards. Retrofitting existing schools is ultimately better for the environment, since it doesn’t require as many resources as building a brand new school would, and it’s also generally cheaper to bring an old building up to modern standards.
Virginia’s students need better schools to learn in. Considering that so many of Virginia’s school buildings are so old, and that scores are either nearing or at student capacity, it’s only a matter of time before school modernization becomes imperative. To maintain healthy, cost-effective learning environments for Virginia’s students, energy efficiency and renewable energy integration should be a major focus of school modernization efforts in Virginia going forward.