INVESTMENTS
THAT LAST
A LIFETIME

Other system conversions include the use of renewable energy technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heat pumps, and even landfill-derived gas for heating fuel.

CASE STUDY:THE ULTIMATE "SMART" SCHOOL IN MAINE

New facilities offer the best opportunity for installing state-of-the-art heating and cooling equipment. Students at Brunswick High School in Maine attend one of the most technologically advanced and environmentally sound schools in the country. The community has been involved in planning the facility since 1988. The school was finally completed in 1995.

The community wanted the school not only to have all the latest educational technology, but also to be highly efficient. Despite tight budget constraints, the designers were able to incorporate numerous energy-efficient technologies, many with interactive environmental and operational components.

Computers monitor and control the building's HVAC system, thus reducing its operating costs. The computerized system is also easier to adjust than conventionally controlled HVAC equipment because problems can be detected and corrected from a centralized computer station. Maintenance staff collect and analyze data showing how the building is functioning on a daily basis and use this information to determine energy-use trends. This trend data serves as the basis for further adjustments, enabling the school to maximize energy savings.

The school's lighting system is also connected to the building's energy management system. These computer controls double as a teaching tool as well. Using a computer terminal in the science area, students check fuel and electricity use throughout the building.

Further, the school has a unique heating system - a boiler that can burn four types of fuel: oil, natural gas, wood or pellets of waste paper. In addition, four solar panels provide energy to heat water for two bathrooms. Fred Schoenfeldt, the school's Head Custodian, said his job has changed significantly with the new technology. "My time is now spent around the computer, learning the programs and managing the lighting and HVAC control systems. Overall, I am pleased with the new equipment and school design, as our new facility is more efficient and we finally have a working ventilation system that enhances the comfort and well-being of our students and staff." However, Shoenfeldt cautions, "schools should choose technologies carefully and only install highly sophisticated equipment when appropriate and necessary. It may be more effective to use simpler, more familiar systems with some facility management operations."

By utilizing numerous energy-reducing technologies, Brunswick High will save an estimated 323,000 kwh of electricity and 32,000 gallons of heating fuel annually, compared with a standard school design and HVAC system, according to erik greven, principal of harriman associates, the architecture and engineering firm that designed the school. This $48,600 savings turns into a 1.5-Year payback on the extra $78,000 the school paid for the efficient equipment.

For More Information: Erik Greven, Harriman and Associates, One Auburn Business Park, Auburn, ME 04210; (207) 784-5100; Fax: (207) 782-3017. Fred Schoenfeldt, Head Custodian, Brunswick High School, 116 Maquoit Rd., Brunswick, ME 04011-7452; (207) 798-5500; Fax: (207) 798-5515.

CASE STUDY:
AN INSPIRING TALE
OF ENERGY MANAGEMENT

The State University of New York at Buffalo's (UB) energy management program has a broad mission. Walter Simpson, UB's Energy Officer, understands that universities and colleges undertake energy management programs primarily to save money. He also believes, however, that promoting environmental stewardship is an equally important reason to conserve.

UB has two campuses with an annual energy bill totaling $19 million. Over the last 20 years, UB has avoided more than $65 million in energy costs by improving efficiency. It is now completing one of the nation's most comprehensive university-based retrofit projects, which has the potential to further increase annual energy savings by over $3 million.

UB's energy management program was sparked by the energy crisis of the 1970s. At that time, the maintenance staff engaged in some basic behavioral and operational conservation measures - including some rudimentary lighting retrofits. UB institutionalized this effort in 1982, by establishing the "Conserve UB" Program and hiring Simpson.

One of Simpson's first activities was to establish an environmental committee -- comprised of faculty and staff, including members of the maintenance and science departments. With input from the diverse committee members, UB's maintenance department initiated over 300 projects including the installation of energy-efficient lights, low-flow shower heads and automated temperature controls. Many of these initiatives involved low-tech solutions such as removing excess lights in corridors, closing blinds and turning off unnecessary mechanical systems over weekends and holidays. Shutting down campus operations during the Christmas season alone saved $100,000 each year.

In 1988, the Conserve UB Committee recognized that the absence of a formal energy policy was preventing them from achieving additional saving goals. An Energy Policy Committee was formed and new operational procedures were established detailing new ambient temperature settings for its facilities and an approval process for the operation of HVAC systems during unscheduled hours.

In addition, UB implemented the following three noteworthy initiatives:

Building Conservation Contacts: This program enlists and trains 170 staff and faculty to raise environmental awareness within the University by informing the people within specific buildings of UB's environmental policies and encouraging them to conserve.

Green Computing: This campaign aims to reduce campus computer energy use by as much as 50 percent using a UB Guide to Green Computing: How Your Choices Can Make a Difference booklet, which outlines ways students, faculty and staff can become more energy-efficient computer operators. The guide also promotes methods to reduce paper waste and presents criteria for purchasing new Energy Star-compliant energy-efficient computer equipment.

Energy Performance Contracting: In the early 1990s, Conserve UB teamed up with an energy service company (ESCO) and its local utility to finance a $17.4 million energy-efficiency retrofit of UB's North Campus heating and lighting systems. An ESCO typically finances, installs and maintains energy-savings improvements in return for capturing some of the school's savings. As part of the upgrade, the University retrofitted 50,000 light features, installed high performance motors and drives, as well as heat recovery systems and upgraded energy management systems. The overall investment has reduced energy use by approximately 18 percent, yielding nearly $3.2 million annually in additional energy savings. By using an ESCO and other outside funding, UB has been able to achieve much more than it would have been able to accomplish on its own.

UB is exemplary because it has saved energy and tax dollars while promoting judicious resource use. The program has done this by drawing upon top-level administrative support for equipment improvements while creating a campus-wide educational campaign emphasizing the importance of conserving energy and protecting the environment. For example, Conserve UB has placed signs in each building illustrating the environmental - and financial - impacts of the University's energy use. According to Simpson, "no campus energy conservation program will last long if the campus community becomes complacent and takes campus energy use for granted."

Simpson is now working to ensure that UB's energy conservation program survives utility deregulation. He knows that while increased competition in the utility industry may save the University money by reducing electricity costs, these lower rates and marginal rate structures are likely to encourage energy waste and discourage further conservation efforts. Simpson predicts that campuses will pay later if they fail to invest in energy-efficiency programs now, as energy prices will eventually rise. He contends that much more is at stake than saving money - including environmental degradation - and that policy-makers should continue to expand incentive programs which promote energy conservation.

For More Information: Walter Simpson, Conservation Energy Officer, Conserve UB, University Facilities, John Beane Center, Buffalo, NY 14260; (716) 645-3528; Fax: (716) 645-3528; E-mail: enconser@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu.

SOLAR FOR SCHOOLS

1. Solar technologies today are proven, readily available and cost-effective in many applications. In fact, in many cases, solar technologies - such as school zone flashers and safety lights for bus shelters -- are often cheaper to install than their grid-connected counterparts which require costly pavement repairs. They are also considered less vulnerable to supply shortages and power outages - like the ones that have plagued the western United States in recent months. The notion that solar technologies are risky and unreliable is a myth.

2. Energy from the sun is free. After the initial capital expense is paid off, operation and maintenance costs are usually minimal.

3. Solar power is clean and safe. Using renewable energy is a preferable alternative to fossil fuels, which create air pollution hazards such as acid rain, global climate change and smog; contribute to groundwater pollution as a result of oil and gas drilling and coal strip mining; weaken local and regional economies by relying on imported fuels when local renewable resources are available; unnecessarily worsen our nation's trade deficit; and impose high national security costs in foreign wars to protect fossil fuel supplies.

4. Students can become educated in the process. By installing solar technologies in schools, students have an opportunity to learn about alternative energy technologies and see their viability and benefits.

Solar projects commercially available to schools include daylighting (or passive solar design), solar cells for electricity generation and solar thermal systems used to heat water and air.

STUDENTS SHINE
IN DAYLIT CLASSROOMS

Studies show these energy savings outweigh any increased design costs, so that passive solar buildings are often less expensive than conventional building designs. Much of what constitutes a "solar building" are simple techniques including better insulation, efficient and well-placed windows, more massive brick or concrete construction and "thermal-mass" walls or floors, and good ventilation systems.

In addition to saving money, natural lighting appears to provide physiological and mental benefits by improving the productivity, morale and comfort of building occupants. Some ground-breaking studies indicate that daylighting has a positive impact on student health and performance.

A 1992 study of five elementary schools conducted in Canada by the Alberta Department of Education found that students exposed to natural light experience better health compared to those in rooms with conventional electric lighting. This Study into the Effects of Light on Children of Elementary School Age: A Case of Daylight Robbery concluded that students in classrooms with full spectrum light were absent less, grew taller, and had increased concentration levels and more positive moods.

Two North Carolina architects documented similar results in daylit schools they designed. The architects, Michael H. Nicklas and Gary B. Bailey of Innovative Design in Raleigh, studied the performance of students in three daylit middle schools. Using California Achievement Tests scores on reading, language and math, the firm compared the relative percentage of students in daylit middle schools to all of the county's traditional nondaylit middle schools (instead of comparing one school to another, which might reflect a bias of neighborhood.) "They found a five percent relative improvement on standardized tests the first year, increasing to 14 percent over the three years," reported the Washington Post in "The Difference is Daylight," Sept. 5, 1996.

These health benefits augment documented energy savings. Helen English, Director of the Passive Solar Industries Council estimates, "the average middle school that incorporates daylighting will likely save $500,000 over the next 10 years."

CASE STUDY:
A LUMINOUS EXAMPLE
OF DAYLIGHTING
IN THE CLASSROOM

Durant Middle School in Wake County, North Carolina is a shining example of passive solar design. The school has not only cut energy use and saved money by incorporating daylighting into its design, but "it has [also] achieved the best attendance record of more than 100 schools in the county. Its students are also performing above the county norm," according to a Sept. 5, 1996 Washington Post article, "The Difference is Daylight."

The school has south-facing roof monitors above the classrooms with overhangs outside to prevent summer heat buildup. Inside, baffles and slanted ceilings flood classrooms with non-glaring natural light. These designs far exceed state requirements for classroom lighting, and the electric lights are off two-thirds of the time the rooms are occupied.

The architects, Michael Nicklas and Gary Bailey from Innovative Design, claim the energy savings achieved in Durant Middle School will pay for the added construction and design costs in less than one year. Furthermore, Innovative Design's latest successful bid to design a new school in Wake County showed it would be less expensive to build the proposed school facility with daylighting features than without them (due to the reduced heat load).

The Durant Middle School Principal, Tom Benton, has nothing but praise for the school design: "The daylit classrooms have increased the well-being of the students and teachers, and are at least partly responsible for our record high attendance rates. In fact, teachers actively lobby me to be assigned to a daylit classroom."

For More Information: Michael Nicklas and Gary Bailey, Innovative Design, Inc., 850 West Morgan St., Raleigh, NC 27603; (919) 832-6303; Fax: (919) 832-3339; Tom Benton, Principal, Durant Middle School, 10401 Durant Rd., Raleigh, NC 27615; (919) 870-4098; Fax: (919) 518-0021.

SOLAR CELLS BRIGHTEN SCHOOLS

Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. Solar electric systems -- also called photovoltaic (PV) systems - can power calculators, watches, battery rechargers, office equipment, indoor and outdoor lighting, warning signs, lawn mowers, emergency telephones, water pumps and a wide array of other equipment commonly used by schools.

A growing number of schools across the country - often in tandem with their local utility - are installing photovoltaic panels on rooftops and other locations to provide power for their own use or to feed electricity into the local power grid. A few of the successful programs are highlighted below:

SolarWise for Schools: Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) launched SolarWise for Schools in February 1996 as part of an environmental program designed to increase the use and understanding of solar-generated electricity within its service territory. The program installs small grid-tied PV arrays on public high schools in areas where it supplies retail electricity. WPS is also responsible for maintenance and repairs.

SolarWise for Schools is funded partly by the federal government as well as by individual contributions from WPS customers under its "green pricing" program. ("Green pricing" is a relatively new concept whereby utility customers make voluntarily donations in their monthly utility bills to facilitate the procurement and implementation of renewable energy technologies).

Thus far, three high schools have operating PV systems. The schools receive the electricity produced (estimated value of $1,200 per year per school); a curriculum on solar energy and PV systems; performance data on each system for students to analyze; and a utility-generated Internet home page that features student projects and is linked to in-depth solar information resources on the Web.

WPS hopes to install 12 kW PV systems on as many high schools as possible in WPS's service territory.

For More Information: Jeff DeLaune,Wisconsin Public Service, 700 North Adams St., PO Box 19001, Green Bay, WI 54307; (414) 433-1722; Fax: (414) 433-1527; E-mail: jdelaun@wpsr. com; Web: http://www.wpsr.com/.

Solar for Schools: Similar to Wisconsin's SolarWise Program, Solar for Schools was originated in 1991 as an electric utility solar demand-side-management (DSM) program. It was then taken over by the Florida Energy Office in 1994 as a way to advance the state's economic development goals through efficiency and renewable energy technologies.

Currently, the Florida Energy Extension Service (FEES) located at the University of Florida is launching this program with a high profile Demonstration Project for Ferry Pass Middle School in Escambia County. Financed through a grant from the Florida Energy Office, the installed technologies provide an estimated 18.5 kWh of demand savings while serving as fully instrumented, hands-on learning labs for students. The technology labs include a mobile PV power plant, PV "smart lights" installed around the school running track and many other applications of passive solar technology.

Key elements of the project are student-generated solar science reports and a student-designed Web page which serve as reporting mechanisms to the contributing public.

Through a bill check-off mechanism, Gulf Power Company has recently begun soliciting donations from its customers to bring Solar for Schools to other schools in its service territory.

For More Information: Carla O'Neil, Program Manager, Solar for Schools, 1115 Sugartree Lane South, Lakeland, FL 33813; (800) 52-SOLAR; Fax: (941) 646-7144; Web: http://www.agen.ufl.edu/~sfs/.

Solar Neighborhood Program: Southern California Edison (SCE) installed PV panels at Monterey Hills Elementary School in the summer of 1995 in order to relieve the stress on overloaded electrical grid circuits in the utility's service territory caused by summer air-conditioning demands. SCE also thought it would be a great place to start its community education effort on solar technology. SCE has installed 100 kW of grid-connected solar panels on the Monterey Hills School. The system does not, however, supply electricity for the school.

Nevertheless, the South Pasadena Unified School District welcomed the project because of its environmental and educational value, providing students with first-hand knowledge of solar energy. The principal of Monterey Hills, Joe Johnson, says, "We feel honored to be a Solar School where the kids will always shine."

For More Information: Aeri Daniels, Project Manager, Research Center, Southern California Edison, 6090 N. Irwindale Ave., Irwindale, CA 91702; (818) 815-7242; Fax: (818) 812-7320; E-mail: danielay@research.sce.com. Joe Johnson, Principal, Monterey Hills Elementary School, 1624 Via Del Rey, South Pasadena, CA 91030; (818) 441-5780; Fax: (818) 403-8280.

The Solar Now Center for Renewable Energy Education: The Solar Now Center for Renewable Energy Education, a non-profit organization housed at Beverly High School in Beverly, Massachusetts, is a successor to the Solar Now Project, which was established by an Act of Congress in 1994. The mission of Solar Now is to promote education about all forms of renewable energy education to students and educators around the world.

Solar Now's study center consists of a three-acre field of PV panels located at Beverly High School, which have been providing energy consistently since 1981. It supplies more than 9 percent of the electricity consumed by Beverly High School annually and, as a grid-connected system, earns the City of Beverly $10,000 to $20,000 a year from excess electricity sold back to the local utility.

Solar Now provides field trips, conferences, K-12 teacher workshops and curricula on renewable energy and other environmental topics for minimal cost, if any.

One of Solar Now's most popular events is its Junior Solar Sprint, an annual competition in which 7th and 8th grade students design, build and race model cars powered by solar energy. Working in teams, students are provided with kits which include only a motor and solar panel. Students are encouraged to combine math and science principles with their creativity.

For More Information: Carmel Valianti-Smith, Project Director, Solar Now Center for Renewable Energy Education, Beverly High School, The Sun Room, 100 Sohier Rd., Beverly, MA 01915; (508) 927-9SUN; Fax: (508) 927-1063; E-mail: solar19@nfi.com.

SCHOOLS WARM UP
TO SOLAR WATER HEATING

Solar water heating systems absorb energy from the sun and transfer it to water. A typical system reduces the need for conventional water heating by about two-thirds, saving money and reducing the environmental impacts associated with the use of petrochemical fuels or nuclear energy. Solar water heaters, according to the U.S.DOE'sFederal Energy Management Program, are likely to be cost-effective when a facility:

1) Pays high utility rates for its conventional water heating. Many schools in rural areas are in this situation.

2) Has a large hot water load. Solar water heating systems in universities, for example, that use large amounts of water in their cafeterias, locker rooms or dorms are likely to find solar water heaters an economical choice. Economies of scale for large mid- or high-temperature systems can bring costs down to competitive levels even if conventional water heating costs (per BTU) are relatively low.

3) Operates a swimming pool. Solar-powered pool heating systems often pay for themselves in just a few years, particularly if they are used year-round.

CASE STUDY:
FLORIDA SCHOOLS TEST THE WATER

The Florida Legislature passed a law in 1982 mandating that schools which expect to use more than 1,000 gallons per day must consider installing solar water heating systems when they construct new facilities or additions to existing facilities. In response, at least 48 Florida schools have installed solar water heating systems. Below are three success stories provided by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC).

For More Information: Jim Huggins, Florida Solar Energy Center, 300 State Rd. 401, Cape Canaveral, FL 39290-4099; (407) 638-1503; Fax: (407) 638-1010.

Christa McAuliffe Middle School, Boynton Beach. The Christa McAuliffe School uses a glazed flat-plate solar collector to provide hot water for use in the cafeteria, according to the Solar Energy Industry Association's Catalog of Successfully Operating Solar Process Heat Systems. Assistant Principal Dr. McCabe says using the system,"has been a positive experience." About 80 percent of the water used at the school is heated by solar power; the back-up system uses natural gas.

For More Information: Dr. James McCabe, Asst. Principal, Christa McAuliffe Middle School, 6500 LeChalet Blvd., Boyton, FL 33435; (561) 374-6600; Fax: (561) 374-6636.

Boggy Creek Elementary School, Kissimmee. Boggy Creek installed a solar water heating system in 1982 to provide hot water for its cafeteria, according to the Catalog of Successfully Operating Solar Process Heat Systems. It consists of 256 square feet of flat-plate solar collectors and a 750-gallon tank for storing hot water, with a back-up gas heating system. A defective control device forced the system to use only the back-up gas heater for a period in the late 1980's, but the system was fixed and now provides 90 percent of the cafeteria's hot water needs.

For More Information: Clara White, Manager of Food Services, Boggy Creek Elementary School, 810 Florida Pkwy., Kissimmee, FL 34743; (407) 344-5072; Fax: (407) 344-5070.

Citrus Grove Middle School, Miami, Florida. Like the two schools above, Citrus Grove's solar heating system was profiled in the Catalog of Successfully Operating Solar Process Heat Systems. Citrus Grove utilizes a solar water system to provide an estimated 60 percent of hot water for the cafeteria. Don Helip, the Assistant Principal, says, "We recommend other schools use solar heating systems, especially those in sunny areas."

For more information: Don Helip, Asst. Principal, Citrus Grove Middle School, 2153 NW 3rd St., Miami, FL 33125; (305) 642-5055; Fax:(305) 642-9349.

CASE STUDY:
OLYMPICS WARMS NATION TO SOLAR

One of the most noticeable legacies of the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta is the world's largest solar building - the Georgia Institute of Technology Aquatic Center. The building incorporates solar technology for pool heating and power generation.

The solar thermal pool system heats, and when necessary, cools the pool water. It supplies roughly one-third of the energy needed to heat the pool year-round.

The typical payback period for a solar thermal pool system is around two to three years, depending on the price of fuel in the particular area. Here, Heliocol Corporation USA donated the solar panels, while U.S. DOEpaid the installation costs.

For More Information: Patricia Pickering, Public Information Manager at the U.S. Department of Energy;

(800) DOE-EREC; Web: http://www.doe.gov/.

WIND WORKS!

Wind turbines capture wind energy and convert it into electricity. They can either "stand alone" or be connected to the grid. Small wind systems designed for remote applications (the type typically used by schools) are highly reliable, working nearly 100 percent of the time with little maintenance required, according to the U.S.DOE. In areas with average wind speeds exceeding eight miles per hour, small wind turbines are often the most cost-effective energy option available.

Wind turbines work extremely well as hybrid systems, using natural gas generators or PV panels as back-up sources.

CASE STUDY:
HARNESSING THE WIND IN IOWA
-- AN UPDATE

In the Winter 1993 issue of Energy Ideas, we reported on a newly constructed wind turbine system that powers the Spirit Lake Community Schools. To date, the turbine has saved the District more than $80,000 by reducing utility bills and generating excess electricity.

The District began operating a 250-kW wind generator in July 1993 at a cost of $239,500. The District received a grant for $119,000 from the U.S. DOE's now-defunct Institutional Conservation Program. It also secured a low interest loan from the Iowa School Energy Bank Program to help pay for the technology. The District expects to repay this loan in only four years, using the estimated $29,000/year savings in utility costs.

The wind turbine is connected to the grid so Spirit Lake generates revenues by selling excess electricity to the local utility (at about six cents per kWh.) When the District needs to purchase electricity, if costs approximately eight cents per kWh.

Spirit Lake is now installing a larger 600-kW wind turbine in order to become energy independent. In addition, Jim Tirevold, the Facilities Manager for the District, says other school districts have followed their lead by installing small wind turbine systems. "The development of wind energy is one of the most popular projects in the community," says Tirevold. "Everyone loves that we are helping to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels while educating our children about the importance of resource conservation." The District has also developed an environmental curricula to educate K-12 students about the benefits of resource conservation.

For More Information: Jim Tirevold, Facilities Manager, Spirit Lake Community Schools District, 900 20th St., Spirit Lake, IA 51360; (712) 336-2820; Fax: (712) 336-4641; E-mail: Jtirevold@spiritlake.ia.us; Web: http://www.spirit-lake.k12.ia.us/.

CASE STUDY: NEVADA FOLLOWS SPIRIT LAKE'S LEAD

Nevada Community School District in Iowa has not one, but two working wind turbines. A retired banker saw the success at Spirit Lake and decided to help the schools in his community join the wind energy bandwagon by donating two wind generators, worth around $505,000, to the Nevada Middle and High Schools.

The first 250-kW machine started producing electricity for the District in 1993. The second generator, rated at 200-kW, started up on August 10, 1994. The District's Facilities Manager, Richard W. Scott, says the system is a "great way to receive free energy while encouraging the development of wind power, decreasing pollution and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels."

The District now generates 477,688 kWh of electricity per year, amounting to a $36,100 value. Since both systems are grid-connected, the District has further increased its earnings by selling excess electricity (valued at more than $7,000 since its installation) to the local utility. Nevada Community invests the energy revenues in instructional materials.

For More Information: Richard W. Scott, Director of Transportation, Building and Grounds, Nevada Community School District, 1035 15th St., Nevada, IA 50201; (515) 382-4067; Fax: (515) 382-2836.

GEOTHERMAL
SAVES SCHOOLS MONEY
FROM THE GROUND UP

There are two types of GHP systems: open-loop and closed-loop. In closed-loop systems, according to the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium (GHPC), a trade association, water or an anti-freeze solution is circulated through plastic pipes buried beneath the earth's surface (installed either horizontally at a depth of four to 10 feet or vertically 150 to 200 feet deep). During the summer, the system cools the building by pulling heat from the building and carrying it through the pipes into the ground. During the winter, the system reverses itself and the fluid collects heat from the earth and carries it through the pipes into the building. Open-loop systems rely on local ground water for heat exchange, using the same process.

More than 200,000 geothermal heat pumps are operating as the primary heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems in the United States. Over 200 of these are in schools, according to GHPC. The U.S. EPA concluded in a 1993 study that GHPs reduce energy consumption and related pollutant emissions by 23 to 44 percent compared to standard electric heating and air-conditioning systems.

Ground-source heat pumps have numerous other benefits, according to the Federal Energy Management Program's guide, Ground-Source Heat Pumps Applied to Commercial Facilities (September 1995). They are reliable, long-lived, quiet and much less of a fire hazard than fossil fuel boilers.

An average GHP installation costs more than a standard heating system, but GHP systems normally have lower life-cycle costs when energy and maintenance costs are factored in. GHPC estimates that geothermal systems save schools and other facilities enough on their utility bills in two to five years to make up the price difference, when there is one, for expensive GHP systems. After the system is paid off, schools may save enough money to pay for one or more teacher salaries.

For More Information:GHPC, 701 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC 20004; (888) 333-4472; Fax: (202) 508-5222; Web:http://www.ghpc.org/.

CASE STUDY:
KENTUCKY SCHOOLS TAP GROUND FOR HEAT

On September 8, 1992, the Paint Lick Elementary School in Garrard County, KY, became the first school in the state to install geothermal heating. This "pilot project," envisioned by the Kentucky Department of Education and East Kentucky Power Cooperative, lowers energy consumption and system upkeep costs.

The geothermal system cost $380,000. In comparison, a conventional HVAC system -- a gas-fired boiler with cooling towers and heat pumps - installed in a nearby school would have cost approximately $272,000. The GHP system has reduced the school's electricity consumption by roughly 33 percent, saving $30,000 annually on avoided energy and maintenance costs (allowing for a four-year payback period).

Ancillary benefits, including an enhanced facility comfort level, no unsightly outdoor cooling appliances, and freed-up floor space in the building due to eliminated boilers and evaporative coolers (much of the GHP equipment is buried outside), further increase the system's appeal.

Dr. William Wesley, Superintendent of the Garrard County School District, said the geothermal system reduces maintenance costs because standard HVAC systems require continual custodial care. Further, he said, "I think encouraging students to protect the ecology of our region is one of the greatest lessons we can impart."

The system was primarily financed with 20-year bonds issued by the Kentucky Board Authority through the state's School Facilities Construction Commission. The remainder was paid for by the local utilities.

Paint Lick's system has been so successful, the District installed a geothermal system in its new Camp Dick Robinson Elementary School in 1996.

For More Information: Dr. William Wesley, Superintendent, Garrard County School District, 322 W. Maple Ave., Lancaster, KY 40444; (606) 792-3018; Fax: (606) 792-4733. Mr. Jim Wade, Vice President, Engineering, Kaiser-Taulbee and Associates, 190 Jefferson St., Lexington, KY 40585; (606) 253-2459; Fax: (606) 259-1864.

CASE STUDY:
MASSIVE GEOTHERMAL WELL FIELD AT COLLEGE

In 1991, Richard Stockton College in southern New Jersey needed a new HVAC system. Based on a recommendation by its local utility and its desire to reduce energy costs and decrease air pollution, the college decided to install the nation's largest massive ground-coupled water source heat pump system to serve both its heating and cooling needs. It received a grant from the state environmental agency and a rebate from its utility totaling $3.5 million -- enabling the college to payback its $1.8 million investment in four years. The college estimates it saved over $400,000 in its energy costs in 1996, and expects to save $10 million over the 20-year lifetime of the heat pump system.

For More Information: Dr. Lynn Stiles, Richard Stockton State College of New Jersey, Pomona, NJ 08240; (609) 652-4677; Fax: (609) 748-5515; E-mail: lynn@odin.stockton.edu.

TRASH HEATS SCHOOL
IN MISSOURI:
WAVE OF THE FUTURE?

So what is the problem? There are many. The overriding concern is that the school is located only 500 yards away from a landfill. Landfill emissions are toxic. According to a June 1996 Working Draft report by EPA, Opportunities for Landfill Gas Energy Recovery in New York, "landfill gas contains VOCs [volatile organic compounds], which contribute substantially to ground-level ozone and include air toxics. Without control systems, these compounds are released to the atmosphere as waste decomposes." Sources of VOCs include household and small business products such as paints, rug and oven cleaners, dry-cleaning fluids, even perfumes and hair spray, as well as by-products of landfill refuse decomposition. No students should be exposed to those toxins at such close range.

Moreover, while many of the VOCs are destroyed when landfill gas is burned, new organic compounds such as dioxin may be created and then released into the air as smokestack emissions. Dioxin is a toxic substance that EPA found can cause cancer, genetic damage, immune system dysfunction and other negative health effects. Children are particularly vulnerable. Furthermore, our bodies accumulate dioxin so that intaking even small amounts can lead to dangerous cumulative effects. There is no safe amount of exposure.

Additionally, no one appears to be testing exactly what is in the gas channeled to the boilers or what is coming out of the school's smokestacks. According to Fred Weber Inc, the owner and operator of the landfill, only about 50 percent of the gas piped to the school is methane; the other half consists of carbon dioxide, oxygen, VOCs and other gases.

EPA does not presently regulate the voluntary burning of landfill gas, although large landfills are required to measure or estimate their non-methane organic compound emissions, according to K.C. Hustvedt from the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. If they exceed an established threshold of emission levels, the landfill must capture the landfill gas and combust it in a controlled manner, Hustvedt says.

EPA finds this to be an acceptable "solution" on the basis that it is the lesser of two evils. EPA contends it is better to expose students to the emissions from the boiler smokestacks than from the landfill gas 500 yards away. "We feel the boiler emissions are safe due to the boiler's assumed efficiency and the fact that the gas is burned in a more controlled environment," says Hustvedt. However, Hustvedt admits, neither option eliminates the presence of contaminants (and they have not tested the boiler's efficiency).

Given the lack of testing in all phases of landfill gas recovery, the Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste (CCHW) is not convinced this type of energy recovery is worth the risk. At a minimum, CCHW recommends that tests be done to determine the type of VOCs and other toxic chemicals present in the landfill gas before a system is approved. Then, "if they decide to continue with a project after finding organic compounds in the gas, they should remove even these trace amounts with a filtering system to avoid unnecessary exposure and continue to do testing of both the gas and the emissions," contends Stephen Lester, Science Director for CCHW. (Of course, removing VOCs from one location to another is not a panacea, but CCHW feels it is better to place VOCs in a permitted incinerator designed for burning these type of compounds than entrusting a boiler to do the job.) "EPA may feel comfortable not doing any tests, but we feel communities have a right to know about the potential risks they are taking," concludes Lester.

Ultimately, the only way to avoid this no-win situation is reducing waste. The less waste that goes into a landfill, the less toxic gas created and the less harm to human health.

For More Information: Stephen Lester, CCHW, PO Box 6806, 119 Rowell Ct., Falls Church, VA 22040; (703) 237-2249; Fax: (703) 237-8389; E-mail:cchw@essential.org. K.C. Hustvedt, Emissions Standards Division, Office of Air and Radiation, EPA, MD-13, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; (919) 541-5395; Fax: (919) 541-0246.