The Lyndon P. Lorusso Applied Technology Building at Cape Cod Community College is the first green building supported with state funds.

Schools are the fastest-growing market for environmentally friendly “green” building, according to a study by McGraw-Hill Construction.

“The results of our survey are very exciting,” said Harvey M. Bernstein, a McGraw-Hill vice president. “Our research sheds light on this important area of green building and helps us make the case to provide our nation’s students with environments that will maximize their learning.”

The survey comes on the heels of a National Center for Education Statistics report noting that K-12 school construction is on the upswing. The center predicted that school projects will reach $53 billion in 2007 and grow by 5.4 percent over the next eight years, making education the nation’s largest nonresidential building market.

Among the most significant findings:

• The concern for improved health and well-being was the most critical social reason for driving education green building – a factor that was not as highly rated in McGraw-Hill’s prior research into the commercial and residential green building markets;

• Fiscal advantages of green building, such as energy cost savings, are the major motivation behind the building of green schools and universities;

• Higher initial costs are the primary challenge to building green in the school sector, although recent studies by Capital E and Davis Langdon point to minor increases in upfront cost hikes that are recouped in operational cost savings;

• Lower operating costs resulting from green building are the most important trigger to faster adoption of green school construction;

• There is a strong need for information on green building products, particularly those relating to improving health, such as reducing mold and indoor air pollutants;

• Across the board, the industry is calling for independent, third-party standards for green building products.

‘Healthy Schools’
Researchers examined the perceptions of owners and facility managers of green schools and universities. In addition, the survey included interviews with school construction professionals as represented by the membership of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI), a trade association whose mission is to improve the places where children learn.

Though the results were consistent among both groups, there were differences. For example, building owners and operators see factors such as publicity, mission statement and staff demand as important triggers to go green. On the other hand, the broader educational facility planning community emphasized measurable outcomes of green building such as increased health and well-being, energy costs and productivity benefits.

“The findings are important because they confirm a lot of what we thought about the challenges and advantages of green schools,” said Thomas A. Kube, CEFPI’s executive director. “Our members are increasingly aware of the importance of high-performance schools, and we will continue to encourage the building and maintenance of more efficient and healthy schools.”

Last year, Cape Cod Community College opened its new $7.7 million Lyndon P. Lorusso Applied Technology Building, the first green or high-performance building supported with state funds. The 25,000-square-foot, 3-story structure that features 15,000 square feet of classroom space was built into the side of a hill and into a gully. From the main campus it appears equal in height to the buildings around it.

The Lorusso building’s green features include energy monitoring and generating systems controlled by touch-panel kiosks. A Web-based network provides data from the building’s energy management system while monitoring utility and water consumption, as well as information on the occupancy loads and temperatures in all spaces.

In addition, storm water is controlled to prevent erosion and to naturally irrigate vegetation. Paving materials were selected to reflect sunlight and reduce the build-up of heat in summer months and to prevent runoff from contaminating groundwater. Solar energy collectors were installed on the rooftop and chlorofluorocarbons were eliminated in the heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, which helps to reduce ozone depletion in the atmosphere.

The term “green building” refers to construction practices that improve the energy efficiency, indoor environment quality, resource management, durability and general environmental appropriateness of a structure. Green building practices may include on-site energy production, water harvesting, careful land use, and specification of sustainable materials. A product may be considered green because it is made from renewable raw materials, contains recycled components, and/or does not contain toxins or create pollutants.

The Lorusso building uses alternative energy sources including solar panels made from recycled materials, facilities designed for water conservation and low-impact environmentally appropriate landscaping.

Michael Gross, a spokesman for Cape Cod Community College, said the school tracks its energy use with built-in monitors and has been assured that the energy cost savings are real.

“Green is living up to its promise, without a doubt,” said Gross. “It actually pays and it’s not just someone’s wild claims. We have super high-efficient gas boilers and waterless urinals that are making a difference in energy costs. We can document more than $182,000 in annual gas and electric savings brought about by retrofits and better energy management systems on campus.”

The new building is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified public building constructed in Massachusetts. LEED is a voluntary national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. It was created to define the term “green building” through a common standard of measurement and to promote green building construction.

Highly efficient energy use and the use of renewable sources where possible are key elements in the concept. Conserving water and electricity, choosing low-toxicity construction materials for the building itself and making the indoor air quality a key consideration in designing and furnishing the facility are the general guidelines under which a building is certified.