Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is designed to invite, encourage, and support learning. Natural daylight, earth sheltering, and siting conserve energy. Virtually every classroom and office has at least one computer. (MLF)

This article argues that nearly all college and university business and facilities officers can find utility efficiency projects on campus that have at least a 20 percent rate of return on investment, and successfully incorporate them into budgets. These projects are generally more successful when plant operations can retain some or all of the…

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…

Reviews types of alternative energy sources and provides a design brief with objectives, materials, student quiz, student outcomes, and references. (SK)

Boulder Valley (Colorado) finds savings with an energy-management strategy that makes conservation automatic. Phase-one strategies included a complete lighting system upgrade and a computerized climate-control system. The energy program has helped the district cut monthly kilowatt consumption by 42%, and natural gas consumption has dropped 27%.…

Discusses survey results from 269 colleges, including 96 two- year, 85 four-year, and 88 universities about their use of technology in running and operating their facilities. Results show that colleges get high marks for thinking about automating various facility functions, but low marks on implementation. Technology use in security, building…

Discusses how energy service companies (ESCO) can help schools upgrade their indoor air quality and make them environmentally sound. How ESCO's help in arranging funding for indoor environmental improvements through energy performance contracts is discussed. Tips on energy-efficiency measures for improving indoor environmental quality are…

Discusses the importance of paying attention to facility requirements when selecting windows during a school building retrofit. Facility requirements to consider include security needs, lighting, energy conservation, and ease the cost of maintenance. (GR)

Hydrogen energy systems are being developed to replace fossil fuels-based systems for transportation and stationary application. One of the challenges facing the widespread adoption of hydrogen as an energy vector is the lack of an efficient, economical, and sustainable method of hydrogen production. In the short term, hydrogen produced from…

The concept of sustainable economics not only examines how to produce what for whom but also how irreplaceable resources can be adequately conserved. Efficient and equitable economic mechanisms are central components of the concept. Analyzing issues complicated by politics, ideology, and nationalism, sustainable economics scholars attempt to…

This survey was undertaken by the Peace Corps to assist Senegal in identifying energy needs in rural areas and in implementing alternative, renewable energy projects at the community level. This book describes the sample, energy use, energy needs, and resources. Fifteen villages of fewer than 5,000 people were selected for data collection. The…

This manual is a guide for performing energy audits in school buildings using low- and no-cost measures found effective in Minnesota. The manual helps school maintenance and administrative personnel conduct walk-through inspections of school buildings, focusing on the energy efficiency of their equipment and operations. The measures recommended…

A compendium of energy ideas and concepts, primarily concerning natural gas and electricity, that have been implemented within the Columbus (Ohio) Public School system. (MLF)

This "IssueTrak" discusses how saving energy and becoming energy efficient may significantly impact a school district's bottom line as well as simply being the right thing to do. There are many opportunities to conserve that can be implemented at little or no cost. To be successful, a school district must allow employees to gather data, analyze…

Responsibility for expenditures by schools in Hawaii for such utilities as electricity, telephone, gas, water, and sewer is shifting from the Department of Education to schools. In shifting responsibility for processing telephone and electricity payments to local schools while retaining management functions, the department failed to develop clear…