A cost-benefit analysis examines a tiered approach to energy investments that can save schools significant money on annual operating expenses��

By Kate Mraw��

The realities of funding school construction make it difficult for districts to weigh the short- and long-term benefits of moving their campuses to cleaner, healthier, more energy-efficient environments. Are energy-efficient strategies cost-prohibitive? The Sustainability & Applied Research team at LPA Design Studios recently worked with in-house designers and engineers, and partner Joeris General Contractors, to explore the cost-benefit analysis of energy-efficient schools.����

For our case study, we chose a recently completed elementary school in Dallas, Texas — where increasingly severe weather and problems with the electrical grid have upset the status quo of cheap energy and light regulation. As school districts in every state struggle to stretch budgets amid historic political and economic uncertainty, the team looked for opportunities to save money through sustainable design.������

Our goal was to understand what it would take to achieve energy independence. We want to be able to have a smart, informed conversation with our clients about up-front costs, return-on-investment and potential savings in annual operational costs.��

Starting with a data-rich digital model of the school, the team studied three tiers of additional energy-efficiency investment and their associated costs and energy savings. Tier 1 studied only passive strategies—design elements like demand-control ventilation and increased roof insulation that reduce energy use with little to no added cost. Tier 2 looked at alternative HVAC systems — options for a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system and heat pumps — to eliminate natural gas. The third-and-final tier provided multiple options for reaching net-zero energy use by adding on-site energy generation infrastructure.��

The study shows just how much energy performance can be gained for free, simply with smart, passive design strategies; investing in modern, marginally more expensive HVAC tech; how quickly a net-zero energy school might pay for itself and start producing free energy.����

The Results��

The results illustrate the significant operational savings available from creating more-energy-efficient buildings. Starting with a passive-only approach, the estimated annual energy cost was $65,000. The optimized HVAC system cut that number by 40% at the up-front cost of $250,000.����

Going a step further, adding PV on the roof would cost an additional $570,000 but would reduce the energy costs to less than $10,000 a year, an 85% savings. To eliminate the electricity bills altogether, the school would need a total cost premium investment of around $1 million. Each of these scenarios would result in a simple payback of 14 to 16 years — potentially much less if energy prices increase, as expected.����

The numbers reveal a variety of ways to address energy efficiency, from reevaluating so-called ‘best practices’ to full energy independence. What’s clear is that a high-performing school building is not one-size-fits-all. The point is to give school districts what they need to make informed decisions with their budgets. The return might take 15 years, but over a life span of 50 to100 years, it adds up to a lot of free energy.����

Beyond operational savings, the analysis didn’t include the intangible benefits found in energy-independent facilities. Energy strategies can play an important role in developing more resilient campuses, able to function no matter what happens to the grid. Texas energy and electricity customers experience the third-highest rate of power outages in the country, with almost 20 hours of outages in 2021, according to the most recent US Energy Information Administration data.����

More sustainable schools are also, by nature, healthier schools. Campuses with natural daylight, reduced energy demand and no fossil fuel combustion save energy and promote a district’s well-being goals. They also serve as teaching tools, putting engineering and conservation on display on a daily basis.��

The data reinforces the importance of including sustainability in the initial planning process, when energy efficiency can be integrated into the design process and tied to the district’s larger goals. In a recent $370 million bond measure, Alamo Heights ISD included funds for “efficiency and sustainability,” earmarking dollars to address more-efficient energy-saving systems.��

By taking a tiered approach to the initial analysis, districts can find a comfort level that fits their budget and the priorities of their community. Districts can test the waters, see the savings and incorporate more strategies into future projects.��

While on first review, the systems may seem cost prohibitive, the real-world data illustrates an attractive return on investment. Buildings are a one-time expense that, if designed right, create value that can pay off for decades. For cash-poor districts overwhelmed by the maintenance and operation of obsolete, energy-hungry schools, capital improvement dollars provide a unique opportunity to get ahead. The way is clear: prioritizing energy efficiency spending at the right time frees up money later for the education and program expenses that make a real difference for students.������

Kate Mraw is the director of K-12 at LPA Design Studios, founder of the firm’s Sustainability & Applied Research team and co-author of “Creating the Regenerative School” (ORO Editions, 2024).��

Read more great stories in the July/August edition of ���سԹ�.��

The post Making the Case for Energy Efficiency appeared first on ���سԹ�.

The post Making the Case for Energy Efficiency appeared first on ���سԹ�.

UVALDE, Texas—The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District has announced that two prominent firms will work gratis to replace Robb Elementary, site of last May’s tragic shooting in which 21 people were killed.

The district is estimating the replacement school will cost between $25 million and $30 million, according to the Austin American-Statesman, and donations from the public are also being sought to cover additional expenses.

Architecture firm Huckabee and Joeris General Contractors, both of whom are well known in the Lone Star State, have agreed to waive their usual service fees for the project. Other details are being worked out under a new organization called Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation.

Understandably, given the horrific nature of the mass shooting there last summer, the Uvalde CISD is also investing in security enhancements for the new school.

Robb Elementary, which was built in the 1960s, is due for demolition, and the site for the new school building has yet to be determined. Meanwhile, Robb’s students are attending the nearby Flores Elementary. District personnel have hinted that a memorial may be installed at the site of Robb Elementary after the school building is razed.

The post Firms Waive Fees on Uvalde Replacement School Project appeared first on ���سԹ�.

The post Firms Waive Fees on Uvalde Replacement School Project appeared first on ���سԹ�.

SAN ANTONIO—Joeris General Contractors has worked together with Kansas City-based architect of record Populous and San Antonio-based local architect MarmonMok to realize the new Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence (RACE) complex at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The facility will be home to UTSA Athletics, and where the staff will promote wellness, health and academic accomplishment. It will also serve as the home for the Division I school’s athletes.

The $40.4 million, 95,000-square-foot RACE provides state-of-the-art recreational and training facilities for UTSA students. The facility is just one piece of an ongoing, multi-phase project aimed at increasing the athletic facilities available to students and faculty; RACE marks a significant milestone in that ongoing work to make the university both community-focused as well as upgrade its urban campus environment.

With indoor and outdoor space sprawling over 10 acres at the UTSA’s main campus, the amenities will include one practice field with synthetic turf and another with grass, conditioning facilities, classrooms, locker rooms, meeting spaces, office spaces as well as a sports medicine center and administrative space.

The architectural design work by Populous and MarmonMok removes columns from the interior entirely. The facility’s external glass and concrete allow in maximum sunlight while allowing for views of the surrounding campus environment.

Joeris General Contractors, as the construction firm, worked in concert with Project Control, who served as the project manager for the RACE building.

Future work at the RACE facility will entail adding a covered pavilion over the synthetic turf field’s practice area.

“This is a transformative moment for UTSA, and we were honored to be involved with the RACE project, not only because it sets the course for the future of UTSA Athletics, but because it will also help enrich the San Antonio community,” Populous Associate Principal Austin Welsh said in a recent statement. “Previously, facilities were spread throughout the campus and even off-campus. RACE provides the opportunity for student-athletes to optimize every minute of their day.”

Added Lisa Campos, UTSA vice president for intercollegiate athletics and athletics director: “At UTSA, student success is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to providing all of our students, including our student-athletes, with the very best environment to enable them to achieve their full potential.

“Just as UTSA is becoming an exemplar in academics and research, UTSA Athletics is increasingly gaining national recognition. RACE will have a long-lasting impact in further propelling UTSA’s stature as a Division I competitor.”

The post UT-San Antonio Welcomes New Athletic Center appeared first on ���سԹ�.

The post UT-San Antonio Welcomes New Athletic Center appeared first on ���سԹ�.

AUSTIN, Texas—The recently completed $28 million Menchaca Elementary School for the Austin Independent School District is a design-build project that has replaced an existing campus in a growing area of south Austin.

The 98,600-square-foot campus was originally conceived as a single building with interior circulation, but the design evolved through an extensive process that engaged teachers, parents and students. LPA Inc. was the architect on this impressive project. Joeris General Contractors was the general contractor.

The design features a collection of three buildings with shaded outdoor collaboration spaces designed around the existing heritage oak trees. The buildings form two courtyards linked by a second-story bridge that houses an innovative library media center and makerspaces specifically designed for the school. More than 30 percent of the site is open, vegetated space, creating direct links between the outdoors and learning environments.

With a build-out capacity of 870 students—this will account for the growth of this diverse city and the evolution of the District’s Strategic Plan. The entire process went from programming to permitting in six months.

Sustainability and energy efficiency were incorporated into every aspect of the design. Indoor water usage was cut by 30 percent and the overall energy use was reduced by 20 percent, primarily through passive measures such as building orientation, shading and strategic use of natural light. The campus is designed to meet LEED Silver certification, including a commitment to air quality and overall wellness for the students and faculty.

The post Texas Elementary School Designed for LEED Silver appeared first on ���سԹ�.

The post Texas Elementary School Designed for LEED Silver appeared first on ���سԹ�.