Room: D139-140

Audience: Architects, Engineers, Specialized Consultants, Facilities Personnel, Educators, School Administrators, Educational Policymakers, Community Stakeholders

Call to Action: 

1. Implement the decarbonization roadmap approach to plan for decarbonization projects.
2. Use the interactive upfront cost estimation tool to calculate upfront cost estimates by equipment type and end use.
3. Select the metrics that are most important to their district when considering equipment electrification and evaluate costing tradeoffs.

Abstract: America’s K-12 schools currently produce emissions equivalent to 18 coal-fired power plants. Upgrading existing buildings and electrifying building systems is a key strategy to decrease the emissions contribution of the sector, especially as many school buildings suffer from ageing infrastructure, deferred maintenance, indoor air quality and occupant comfort issues. Healthy and efficient school infrastructure is more important than ever as hazards like wildfire smoke, heat waves, and airborne diseases increase in frequency and severity. However, schools are often severely limited by capital budgets, so understanding the cost ranges and scope implications of electrification upgrades is crucial to be able to incorporate into project plans, budgets, and possible school bonds. The Building Electrification Technology Roadmap (BETR) for Schools was completed to arm school decision-makers with the information they need to make strategic decisions related to system and equipment upgrades in their buildings. For common lifecycle events like an emergency replacement, planned upgrades and maintenance, deep retrofits, and facility additions, the study highlights installation challenges, maintenance difficulty, indoor air quality and greenhouse gas emission impacts. The study also quantifies the upfront and operational costs associated with the replacement technology, accounting for both material and labor costs as well as unique costs like panel and wiring upgrades. To illustrate tradeoffs when considering electrification retrofits, several example scenarios are provided to “spotlight” specific building types, existing systems, and life cycle events. While every project is unique, the BETR for Schools guide offers a common framework for approaching and evaluating electrification opportunities in school buildings. This session will additionally touch on funding mechanisms and approaches to help district stack funding opportunities to achieve their electrification goals. The information in this session is meant to empower and inform decision makers as they consider their roadmap to decarbonization of their buildings and portfolios.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn about building systems that are tailored for K-12 schools to reduce carbon emissions and improve the health, wellness, and resilience of school buildings and the broader community.
2. Understand the roadmap steps and decision-making tools to electrify their school buildings.
3. Quantify the potential upfront cost magnitude of electrification in their school buildings.
4. Understand the funding opportunities available and how to creatively stack them to achieve electrification goals.