Saving energy through energy efficiency improvements can cost less than generating, transmitting, and distributing energy from power plants, and provides multiple economic and environmental benefits. Local governments can promote energy efficiency in their jurisdictions by developing and implementing strategies that improve the efficiency of…

Lead levels in school drinking water merit special concern because children are more at risk than adults from exposure to lead. This manual provides ways in which school officials can minimize this risk. It assists administrators by providing: (1) general information on the significance of lead in school drinking water and its effects on children;…

This description of the renovation of the youth services department of a public library covers planning, implementation, and such considerations as furniture delivery, utility lines, and publicity. Several recommendations for libraries considering major changes are offered, and one reference is listed. (MES)

Discussed are what constitutes good lighting for a sports field, what are the best lamp and floodlight types, what is involved in maintenance, and how various systems compare. Lighting for fields of various shapes and tennis courts is examined in detail. (MT)

The renovation of existing school buildings may not always be the least expensive or the quickest response to facility needs, but it is often the most politically acceptable. To help with school renovations, this text provides detailed guidelines that school systems can use in renovation projects. It offers a step-by-step approach to the planning…

Colleges and universities are finding innovative ways to cut electrical costs while maintaining the needed light and power to fulfill their educational missions. Farsighted planning of energy use is increasing, due in part to government and corporate leadership and support and to the changing vision of college administrators. (Author/MSE)

Describes a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, school system's energy conservation project that insulated utility tunnels and pipes in two schools. Energy savings will pay back the insulation cost in less than two years. (MD)

College buildings, interiors, furniture, spaces, landscaping, and equipment express what the college stands for, what it cares most about, and how it views the intellectual and aesthetic enterprise. Well-designed and well-built physical facilities, especially those that are distinctive, should be a more recognized force in any college's enrollment…

A university's financing choices cover many shades of gray. Some off-balance-sheet financing uses no debt capacity, while others represent or imply full financial commitment. Many others fall in between. The choices made by a number of institutions in financing facility expansions or improvements are discussed, and the Moody's Investors Service…

It is noted that federal deregulation of the electrical utility industry will allow colleges and universities to buy electrical services from suppliers who provide the best reliability and cost combination. Considerations are examined for the following options: purchasing an existing electrical substation, building a new substation, using on-site…

Colleges and universities historically have ignored the capital costs associated with institutional administration in their estimates of overall and per-student costs. This neglect leads to distortion of data, misunderstandings, and uninformed decision making. The real costs should be recognized in institutional accounting. (MSE)

Outlines the cost-saving decisions made by an Oregon school district as it faced a decreasing student population over the past 10 years. The district developed a resource management system that involved all levels of management, including the school board. (MD)

The intent of this document is to provide technical guidance to school district facility managers for linking specific incremental seismic retrofit opportunities to specific maintenance and capital improvement projects. The linkages are based on logical affinities, such as technical fit, location of the work within the building, cost saving…

Higher education leaders have always considered the physical plant as an asset but may have little understanding of its dimensions as a liability, particularly higher debt service requirements for facility improvement or replacement. Strategic planning will be increasingly important in addressing campus facilities needs. (MSE)

Ohio State University developed a formula to calculate the annual and renovation budget necessary to maintain campus facilities. The calculations can indicate whether an institution is gaining or losing ground in facilities upkeep. Many institutions need to nearly double past efforts to retain physical plant quality and maintain facility…