How Other Schools Conserve Electricity

So according to an article in Aware Magazine, Punahou School is one of the leading schools in conserving energy. Their Case Middle School costed around 60 Million dollars to build, but it has some of the most advanced energy conserving technology in the nation. The eighth grade learning center uses Photovoltaic technology to store energy into batteries, which the school uses later on during the regular school days. The Athletic Complex was designed to use skylights to reduce the amount of artificial lighting used, and many of the classrooms were constructed to have huge windows so natural lighting could flow through the hallways and classrooms. Almost every building is air conditioned, but a new system installed in the middle school might be installed in other places later. They have an ice system that creates ice over night and then the ice melts during the day, which cools down the air so the air conditions don't have to be on during the entire day. (http://www.punahou.edu/page.cfm?p=2344)

Iolani built a control system in the Weinberg building they created in 2004. The control system is very simple and needs very little maintenance, and it can activate and turn off the heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems through the entire school. The control system can also record data and record graphs in real time so engineers can keep up on maintenance in certain buildings. To cut electricity that the Weinberg building uses, Iolani School installed Light Shelves, which capture the light on the exterior of buildings and reflect it to the ceilings of classrooms creating natural lighting. (http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/Hawaii-Business/March-2004/Upbuilding/)

Clarkstown Central School district controls many different elementary, middle, and high school buildings within Rockland County, New York. 13 of their school buildings were installed with photovoltaic systems and replaced old vending machines and lighting sensors to new ones that power down when not in use.