Buckley Elementary School in Manchester, Connecticut, opened in the Fall of 2022. With over a year of data tracked, the New Building Institute (NBI) officially verified it as the first Net Zero Energy Public School in New England. BuildGreen CT members and supporters learned how, as a renovation, Buckley Elementary School achieved this lofty goal on a public school budget. Buckley Elementary School was the first of three 1950s schools in the District to undergo intensive renovations, upgrading the learning environment to support multiple learning modes, socio-emotional well-being, and student health.
The night began with a presentation by Michael C. Scott, AIA, WELL AP of TSKP STUDIO, and Ben Kleine-Kracht, EIT, WELL AP of CMTA, along with members of the Town’s Building Committee, to tell the story of how this project came to be and the surprising things they learned along the way.
Michael was the project manager and the main point of contact throughout. Ben was the project engineer and assisted with system selection, right-sizing, and verifying. Michael and Ben collaborated during the project, confirming that all the pieces had come together and met the project goals. They know Buckley Elementary School inside and out.
After the presentation, the audience was separated into groups to tour the building. The tours stopped at the energy dashboard inside the lobby by the front desk, various academic spaces, and the mechanical room before concluding at the Solar Smart Flower at the main entrance. Most of the Net Zero features are unseen. The Smart Flower was planted at the main entrance to symbolize energy efficiency, to show students, faculty, staff, and visitors how special their school is.
Key Takeaways from the BuildGreenCT program:
· The client/municipality needs to support the Net Zero Energy goal fully
· A school can be renovated to meet Net Zero Energy goals
· Educate facilities and the District on what it means to operate a Net Zero Energy School
· Program and educational mission should be the priority during the design phase
Case Study: Buckley Elementary School - Manchester, CT
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NET ZERO: First Verified Net Zero Public School in New England - Buckley Elementary School
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