School started this week for most school districts in Texas. In North Texas we’re very excited about three brand-new and interesting sustainable (green) schools that opened their doors this week. The research shows green schools are better learning environments in many ways. These schools are also exciting because the students who attend these schools are learning about 21st century building. All of these schools have a “school as learning tool” component.
Fort Worth ISD, a large school district with nearly 80,000 students, implemented a sustainability policy in 2008 after a recently-passed bond measure. The construction department was familiar with research that showed numerous benefits to students in high-performance schools. After researching various rating systems, the district decided to implement The Collaborative for High-Performance Schools or CHPS. The district wanted to spend money on schools that would maximize Indoor Environmental Quality(IEQ), that would reduce the use of electricity, gas, and water, would be built of reduced-maintenance, sturdy materials, that would have increased insulation in the building envelope including doors and windows, and would incorporate low water use both indoors and outdoors.
Fort Worth ISD”s Rosemont Elementary School incorporates all these strategies in a pleasant building that maximizes daylight through the use of windows and features clear and colored glass. The HVAC system is energy-efficient. Water usage is reduced with the use of low-flow plumbing fixtures and native plants in the landscaping. The appliances are Energy Star®. Low-voc and recycled content carpet and VCT (vinyl tiles) were used, as well as low-VOC paints. A second-story science classroom has an outdoor science classroom attached. Sturdy, low-maintenance materials are visible, including both brick and CMU (concrete block) for the building façade.
Keller ISD, with 33,000 students, started going green in 2003 when they started looking at research into how children learn and how to best help their students attain “Intentional Excellence”. When they looked at the data on the connection between Indoor Environmental Quality and absenteeism/ learning/test scores, and even scholarship awards, their entire school district, including Operations and Construction, was tasked with increasing IEQ. They say building LEED buildings were the logical next step in all of this. (LEED® is the US Green Building Council’s rating system.) Keller has increased their IEQ, including green cleaning and green furniture purchasing, using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s program Tools for Schools, even winning a national award from the EPA in 2010. This is the second LEED school for the district.
A few of the benefits of Keller’s Ridgeview Elementary School are over 500 geothermal wells that provide higher air quality while reducing heating/cooling costs, increased HVAC standards for additional pre-conditioned Outside Air, MERV-8 filters even during construction provide a higher amount of filtering of particulate matter, water savings of over 30% with low-water usage plumbing fixtures (including waterless urinals) and low-water landscaping (as Texas experiences the worst drought in its history), low-and –no-VOC paints, flooring, and finishes, and Daylighting. Carpeting is used sparingly, and where it is used, carpet tiles have been used in lieu of “regular” roll carpet. There are many other green features in the school. The District’s green cleaning program means facilities staff use only two cleaning products, both hydrogen-peroxide based. All other chemicals have been removed. The District has seen a marked decrease in asthma, which means marked increase in attendance.
The third school is Irving ISD’s net zero Lady Bird Johnson Middle School, meaning the school produces as much or more energy than it consumes in the course of a year. The largest net zero school in the USA and the first net zero school in Texas, Lady Bird Johnson Middle School produces power with the use of nearly 3,000 solar panels which cover 66% of the roof. They generate 99% of the building’s energy. Twelve wind turbines produce 1% of the building’s energy. The solar panels and wind turbines are used as interactive science nodes. Rainwater is collected from roof drains for grounds irrigation. The school’s curriculum is heavily science/sustainability/net zero based. There is a pulper in the cafeteria with which students grind compostable waste, reducing the amount of garbage sent to landfills by 53%. The cafeteria has no dishwashers. All plates and plastic-ware are made from recycled materials that can be turned into pulp. The building features increased insulation which decreases the need for HVAC, and a reflective roof surface reduces cooling loads needed.
Students at all of these schools will have a distinct advantage in that they will be educated on sustainability concepts, along with the technological aspects of these high-performance, sustainable buildings as part of their school culture. They will also experience greater health, which means they'll spend more time at school and less time at home recovering from illness. As my English teacher in high school would say at the end of class, when he would fling open the door and motion towards the hallway, “Your Destiny Awaits!” The 21st century awaits!
Links:
www.cleanerandgreener.org/download/sustainableschools.pdf
http://www.fwisd.org/cip/Pages/GreenSchools.aspx
http://h-m-g.com/projects/daylighting/summaries%20on%20daylighting.htm#Windows and Classrooms: A Study of Student Performance and the Indoor Environment – CEC PIER 2003
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy00osti/28049.pdf
http://www.kellerisd.net/community/communications/news/Pages/RidgeviewElementaryopensasKellerISD%E2%80%99s22ndK-4Campus.aspx
http://www.irvingisd.net/johnson/documents/Fun%20Facts%20about%20Lady%20Bird%20Johnson%20Middle%20School.pdf
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Drought Effect on Your Buildings
As everyone in the Southwest knows, this summer's drought and heat wave have left us all exhausted. Just imagine how your buildings must feel. Most facilities can withstand severe weather conditions, but over an extended period of time, some building systems begin to fatigue more quickly. Severe drought can cause the soil to dry out under the edges of buildings and can force tree root systems to reach further under buildings, causing damage as clay soils shrink. Extreme temperatures can produce additional stresses to roofs, causing them to expand even further than normal possibly tearing the roof membrane. Then when it does rain again, you may experience leaks in a building that has previously been fine.
This year your maintenance and facility staff may need to more diligent in looking for hints that something might be wrong in and around your buildings. Here are a few steps that I recommend:
Review your parking lot and sidewalks- Look for sidewalks that have settled or cracked. Sidewalks shifting away from buildings and curbs can cause sealant joints to be torn, leaving a gap for water to flow in when it rains. Uneven sidewalks may create trip hazards and possibly impede handicap accessibility.
Review your irrigation system- I realize that maintenance budgets are tight, but please remember that proper irrigation around the building is important to keep the soil moisture stable. Changes in soil moisture can lead to problems with foundations and underground utilities. Don't forget to review your watering schedule to make adjustments if needed.
Review your walls- Look for sealant joints that are split which may allow water to enter the building. Look for cracks in the walls. Small hairline cracks are normal, but any crack larger than 1/8" should be evaluated by an engineer.
Review your roof- Look for tears in the roof surface or where the roof membrane turns up at an angle. Look at metal wall caps and roof flashings, especially at the inside or outside corner conditions of parapets.
Preventive maintenance- Don't forget to do it. These additional checks alongside your normal maintenance inspections will help you spot a potential condition before it worsens.
This year your maintenance and facility staff may need to more diligent in looking for hints that something might be wrong in and around your buildings. Here are a few steps that I recommend:
Review your parking lot and sidewalks- Look for sidewalks that have settled or cracked. Sidewalks shifting away from buildings and curbs can cause sealant joints to be torn, leaving a gap for water to flow in when it rains. Uneven sidewalks may create trip hazards and possibly impede handicap accessibility.
Review your irrigation system- I realize that maintenance budgets are tight, but please remember that proper irrigation around the building is important to keep the soil moisture stable. Changes in soil moisture can lead to problems with foundations and underground utilities. Don't forget to review your watering schedule to make adjustments if needed.
Review your walls- Look for sealant joints that are split which may allow water to enter the building. Look for cracks in the walls. Small hairline cracks are normal, but any crack larger than 1/8" should be evaluated by an engineer.
Review your roof- Look for tears in the roof surface or where the roof membrane turns up at an angle. Look at metal wall caps and roof flashings, especially at the inside or outside corner conditions of parapets.
Preventive maintenance- Don't forget to do it. These additional checks alongside your normal maintenance inspections will help you spot a potential condition before it worsens.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Children are at Higher Risk
Imagine an invisible, toxic cloud that hangs two and a half to three feet off the ground. Imagine it’s in homes and in public buildings, including schools. Imagine the better-built these buildings are from an energy conservation standpoint (more air-tight), the more the gas collects.
Now let’s picture children about three feet tall going about their daily activities in this cloud. They stand, walk, and even run in the cloud. They sit at their desks in the cloud, and at library and cafeteria tables. Because proportionately they breathe more than adults due to their body mass to lung size ratio, they take in more of this gas. This gas is not imaginary, nor is the scenario. The gas is called formaldehyde and it’s classified as a carcinogen by the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) among others. We all live in this cloud every day, however, the ones who are most affected by the cloud are the most vulnerable of our population, the very young.
Where does formaldehyde come from? It’s contained in many products, materials, finishes, and furnishings. It’s used in particle board, wafer board or OSB (oriented strand board), and plywood, which is used for floor underlayment, backing in walls, and roof decking. Particle board is also used in most of today’s furniture. A few places you’ll see particle board is in cabinetry, paneling, shelving, desks, tables, chairs – anything that isn’t real wood all the way through - most likely has a wood or “photo wood” veneer with a particle board interior. It’s used in plastic products. Carpet has formaldehyde, as well as sheet vinyl, “pergo-style” wood laminate flooring, vinyl wallpaper, and paints. It’s found in fabrics and used in furniture production. So your child’s sleepwear, sheets, and bed all contain formaldehyde, as well as the furniture at school and at home. That “new home” “new car” “new furniture” and “new carpet” smell is in large part the smell of formaldehyde.
What to do? Build green for starters. Green buildings, when under construction and when brand-new, don’t have a “new building” smell. There are many differences in a LEED® or CHPS building, for example, than a typical building. There are also other rating systems that will produce results (Energy Star although it is not specific to IAQ). Open the doors and windows every day for half an hour or whatever is practical in order to exchange air until you can provide better air circulation. Get rid of particle-board laden furniture. Remove carpets and replace with hard surfaces that don’t contain formaldehyde. When purchasing rugs, purchase “real” fiber rugs like wool, cotton, or jute. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems should be designed to bring in fresh air from outside, and to exhaust stale air. There are some increasingly sophisticated ways to pull in pre-heated or pre-cooled air in HVAC systems. All green building standards recognize the importance of maximizing the quality of inside air.
You can purchase a formaldehyde test kit online. The kit will have information on safe and unsafe levels of formaldehyde so you will be able to interpret test results.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/MMG/MMG.asp?id=216&tid=39
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=223614
Formaldehyde Exposure Among Children: A Potential Building Block of Asthma. Environmental Health Protection 118:313–317; McGwin et al.
Goldmacher VS, Thilly WG. Formaldehyde is mutagenic for cultured human cells. Mutat. Res. 1983;116:417-422.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/formaldehyde#r1
Now let’s picture children about three feet tall going about their daily activities in this cloud. They stand, walk, and even run in the cloud. They sit at their desks in the cloud, and at library and cafeteria tables. Because proportionately they breathe more than adults due to their body mass to lung size ratio, they take in more of this gas. This gas is not imaginary, nor is the scenario. The gas is called formaldehyde and it’s classified as a carcinogen by the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) among others. We all live in this cloud every day, however, the ones who are most affected by the cloud are the most vulnerable of our population, the very young.
Where does formaldehyde come from? It’s contained in many products, materials, finishes, and furnishings. It’s used in particle board, wafer board or OSB (oriented strand board), and plywood, which is used for floor underlayment, backing in walls, and roof decking. Particle board is also used in most of today’s furniture. A few places you’ll see particle board is in cabinetry, paneling, shelving, desks, tables, chairs – anything that isn’t real wood all the way through - most likely has a wood or “photo wood” veneer with a particle board interior. It’s used in plastic products. Carpet has formaldehyde, as well as sheet vinyl, “pergo-style” wood laminate flooring, vinyl wallpaper, and paints. It’s found in fabrics and used in furniture production. So your child’s sleepwear, sheets, and bed all contain formaldehyde, as well as the furniture at school and at home. That “new home” “new car” “new furniture” and “new carpet” smell is in large part the smell of formaldehyde.
What to do? Build green for starters. Green buildings, when under construction and when brand-new, don’t have a “new building” smell. There are many differences in a LEED® or CHPS building, for example, than a typical building. There are also other rating systems that will produce results (Energy Star although it is not specific to IAQ). Open the doors and windows every day for half an hour or whatever is practical in order to exchange air until you can provide better air circulation. Get rid of particle-board laden furniture. Remove carpets and replace with hard surfaces that don’t contain formaldehyde. When purchasing rugs, purchase “real” fiber rugs like wool, cotton, or jute. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems should be designed to bring in fresh air from outside, and to exhaust stale air. There are some increasingly sophisticated ways to pull in pre-heated or pre-cooled air in HVAC systems. All green building standards recognize the importance of maximizing the quality of inside air.
You can purchase a formaldehyde test kit online. The kit will have information on safe and unsafe levels of formaldehyde so you will be able to interpret test results.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/MMG/MMG.asp?id=216&tid=39
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=223614
Formaldehyde Exposure Among Children: A Potential Building Block of Asthma. Environmental Health Protection 118:313–317; McGwin et al.
Goldmacher VS, Thilly WG. Formaldehyde is mutagenic for cultured human cells. Mutat. Res. 1983;116:417-422.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/formaldehyde#r1
Monday, August 15, 2011
Three Easy Things
Do you know anyone with asthma or allergies? You most likely do. Here in Texas one in four children, on average, suffers from asthma. As we discuss Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) there are some easy solutions to begin your school’s journey to provide a healthy environment. To alleviate anxiety while we journey through the world of healthy schools, here are some easy solutions.
First step: get rid of air fresheners. Think of it this way. One of the things you’re going to start doing is paying attention to smells in your school. People who have asthma and allergies can have serious problems, and even be hospitalized, by things that are in our environment for no other reason than to “smell good”. On a microscopic level anything that smells is emitting molecules of that particular smell. As the air freshener disappears, those molecules are floating in the air, waiting to inflame the lungs of innocent passers-by. You want the air in your school to be neutral. If you’re masking another smell then you’re going to need to treat the source of the smell. In IEQ lingo, that’s called “source control”.
Second step: More source control: Keep it clean. The three most common sources of indoor air contamination are dust mites, cat dander, and cockroach droppings. Dust mites and cockroach droppings are typically generated on-site, while cat dander is coming to school on clothing and personal belongings like backpacks. Doctors who specialize in allergies and organizations like the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America www.aafa.org and the American Asthma Foundation www.americanasthmafoundation.org have information to help you develop an asthma action plan. In the meantime you’ll want to clean often and clean deep. This means you want to keep your school clutter-free so your facilities and maintenance staff can do their jobs. You’ll then want to clean soft surfaces, (at some point reducing soft surfaces) cleaning window coverings, cleaning horizontal surfaces (including mini-blinds), and steam-cleaning carpets, if you have them. (Eventually you’ll want to take a serious look at removing carpet.)
If you need to keep soft surfaces in parts of your building, there are steps you can take to help. For example, in kindergarten classes there tend to be stuffed animals, curtains, soft chairs, and carpeting. Wash the stuffed animals often, wash curtains often, and steam clean carpets and fabric furniture.
Third step: more source control: look in places like art studios, shop classes, science classes and science prep areas, janitor closets, and kitchens. Many teachers like to keep cleaning products in their classrooms. Reduce the number and quantity of chemicals in your school. Research a green cleaning protocol.
Your school district may want to begin a comprehensive IEQ program. If so, start by gaining consensus from parents, teachers, students, and administration.
First step: get rid of air fresheners. Think of it this way. One of the things you’re going to start doing is paying attention to smells in your school. People who have asthma and allergies can have serious problems, and even be hospitalized, by things that are in our environment for no other reason than to “smell good”. On a microscopic level anything that smells is emitting molecules of that particular smell. As the air freshener disappears, those molecules are floating in the air, waiting to inflame the lungs of innocent passers-by. You want the air in your school to be neutral. If you’re masking another smell then you’re going to need to treat the source of the smell. In IEQ lingo, that’s called “source control”.
Second step: More source control: Keep it clean. The three most common sources of indoor air contamination are dust mites, cat dander, and cockroach droppings. Dust mites and cockroach droppings are typically generated on-site, while cat dander is coming to school on clothing and personal belongings like backpacks. Doctors who specialize in allergies and organizations like the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America www.aafa.org and the American Asthma Foundation www.americanasthmafoundation.org have information to help you develop an asthma action plan. In the meantime you’ll want to clean often and clean deep. This means you want to keep your school clutter-free so your facilities and maintenance staff can do their jobs. You’ll then want to clean soft surfaces, (at some point reducing soft surfaces) cleaning window coverings, cleaning horizontal surfaces (including mini-blinds), and steam-cleaning carpets, if you have them. (Eventually you’ll want to take a serious look at removing carpet.)
If you need to keep soft surfaces in parts of your building, there are steps you can take to help. For example, in kindergarten classes there tend to be stuffed animals, curtains, soft chairs, and carpeting. Wash the stuffed animals often, wash curtains often, and steam clean carpets and fabric furniture.
Third step: more source control: look in places like art studios, shop classes, science classes and science prep areas, janitor closets, and kitchens. Many teachers like to keep cleaning products in their classrooms. Reduce the number and quantity of chemicals in your school. Research a green cleaning protocol.
Your school district may want to begin a comprehensive IEQ program. If so, start by gaining consensus from parents, teachers, students, and administration.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Introduction and Indoor Environmental Quality
My name is Karen Benson and I've been interested in and involved in green building since the early 80's. I'm excited about helping the American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities spread the word about ways to increase Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in schools. Part of the purpose of this blog is dedicated to answering questions about school IEQ and IAQ, so please feel free to ask questions.
Q: What's the deal with IEQ and IAQ and why should anyone care?
A: Numerous studies connect learning, teacher retention, abseenteeism, and test scores with IEQ. Twenty percent of the population of the United States spends their day in a school. That translates into a lot of opportunity to breathe either good or bad air. Think back on what your school smelled like - I'm remmbering some funny smells in the schools I attended. Funny smells = particulate matter in the air. Newer schools don't have asbestos or lead paint, but they are much more air-tight, and some of the materials they're constructed or furnished with can be hazardous to human health. A statistic commonly cited is that indoor air quality can be two to seven times worse than outdoor air quality. (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/ .)
Next: Children are at a disadvantage when it comes to Indoor Environmental Quality. And 3 simple ways to increase your schools' IAQ.
Q: What's the deal with IEQ and IAQ and why should anyone care?
A: Numerous studies connect learning, teacher retention, abseenteeism, and test scores with IEQ. Twenty percent of the population of the United States spends their day in a school. That translates into a lot of opportunity to breathe either good or bad air. Think back on what your school smelled like - I'm remmbering some funny smells in the schools I attended. Funny smells = particulate matter in the air. Newer schools don't have asbestos or lead paint, but they are much more air-tight, and some of the materials they're constructed or furnished with can be hazardous to human health. A statistic commonly cited is that indoor air quality can be two to seven times worse than outdoor air quality. (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/ .)
Next: Children are at a disadvantage when it comes to Indoor Environmental Quality. And 3 simple ways to increase your schools' IAQ.
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