Beating the heat: School case studies in extreme heat resilience

School districts across the country are contending with the consequences of more intense summer heat.

In a recent webinar hosted by the Center for Green Schools, titled "Beating the Heat: Preparing Schools for Extreme Heat Resiliency," school leaders and experts shared solutions for addressing extreme heat impacts to schoolyards, ventilation systems and power systems. Three different school case studies in extreme heat resilience help illuminate strategies for beating the heat.

Austin Independent School District (Austin, Texas): As part of an existing bond program, Austin Independent School District (AISD) has rebuilt 19 schools to be LEED Silver certified (or higher) and to achieve Austin Energy Green Building three-star certification. These school buildings are designed to be energy efficient, with passive cooling components (e.g., operable garage doors in classrooms and architectural shading on the building), and include shaded outdoor learning spaces. AISD also manages an urban forest of 15,000 trees over 2,200 acres of land across the city, which supports cooling through shade and evapotranspiration on campuses and allows the school district to identify tree-deficient schools for future planting.

The Austin Independent School District rebuilt 19 schools, including the LEED Silver Govalle Elementary School in Austin, Texas. Photo courtesy of Brian Mihealsick.

NeoCity Academy (Kissimmee, Florida): Schools in Florida are no strangers to extreme heat and humidity. Opened in 2019, NeoCity Academy in the School District of Osceola County was designed with heat adaptability and indoor air quality in mind. The academy uses passive cooling strategies such as outdoor dining areas with evaporative cooling fans under a solar canopy and a dedicated outdoor air system that captures moisture from the air for use in the building's fluid cooler. Energy-efficient building design and systems are key to adapting to extreme heat and minimizing utility costs. In its first year of operation, NeoCity achieved an energy use intensity (EUI) of 23.9, significantly under the district average of 65 EUI, reducing the annual energy bill by over $112,000. Energy-efficient strategies include a distributed heat pump ventilation system, a tightly sealed building envelope and a 228 kW, 650-panel solar array.

Features at NeoCity Academy include passive cooling strategies and a 650-panel solar array. Photo courtesy of Little Diversified Architects.

Franklin McKinley School District (San Jose, California): In the case of Franklin-McKinley School District, school leaders sought to address the impacts of power grid instability that come with extreme heat events while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions by integrating electric school buses and their DC fast chargers with solar canopies and battery storage. These charging stations operate separately from the power grid, creating a resilient microgrid system supporting response during natural disasters or other emergencies when power may be unstable. Additionally, the district plans to leverage the electric school buses' vehicle-to-charging capacity to supply electricity to critical facilities during emergencies.

Access the full webinar and resources to learn more

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