Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, in Spokane, WA has updated its windows. An act of little significance for the 101-year-old building, but the new windows prove that historical preservation and energy conservation can be achieved. “Not only did (the windows) meet the needs of the historic society in look, but they met the energy standards in construction,” says Greg Forsyth, director of capital projects for Spokane Public Schools. The elementary school’s energy efficiency upgrade matches initiatives across the country.
The Biden administration is accepting applications for public schools looking to benefit from the $80 million in grants that will fund energy improvement. “By making our students’ learning environments healthier with these critical energy improvements, our children will be better able to reach their full potential in the classroom,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in a statement.
Why is it so important that schools get the energy efficiency upgrades they need? Of course, you know the obvious answer about improving facilities to support children and their education, but there is another reason. Demand for electricity continues to increase and the ability to add electricity generating capacity to an aging grid is limited. The problem is expected to persist. By 2026, 50 percent of G20 members will experience monthly electricity rationing.
In the U.S., the almost 100,000 public K-12 schools, made up of 50 million students and 3 million teachers, represent the second largest sector of public infrastructure spending, after highways. The 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure found that 53 percent of public schools reported dated infrastructure, and nearly 41 percent of respondents reported heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) problems.
Student education is vital to our way of life, but it is also imperative that we pave the way to an energy efficient future. “DOE is working diligently to deploy these critical funds so that schools can start turning infrastructure improvements into healthier learning environments and big cost savings, as soon as possible,”Granholm said.
