The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released a report titled, "Solar Schools Assessment and Implementation Project: Financing Options for Solar Installations on K-12 Schools," detailing best practices for financing and installing photovoltaic (PV) systems on school buildings. The Department also applauded the director of DOE's SunShot Initiative, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, who was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) during a ceremony at the organization's annual meeting, held in Washington, D.C., October 16th and 17th.

Ramesh was elected for his contributions to the science and technology of functional complex oxide materials, which he has applied to his work advancing solar energy technologies. Membership in NAE is considered one of the highest honors in the engineering profession, and includes leaders in business, academia, and government.

Produced under the SunShot initiative—a collaborative national effort to reduce the cost of solar energy 75% to make it cost competitive with other forms of energy by the end of the decade—the report released today examines the successful development of Solar Master Plans (SMPs) for three California public school districts—Oakland, Berkeley, and West Contra Costa Unified School Districts. Installing solar energy systems on public schools can help school districts save money on their utility bills, reduce carbon emissions, support job creation, and provide students with opportunities to learn about clean energy...

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The Billion Dollar Green Challenge may have been launched just this week, but already 32 universities, Harvard and Stanford among them, have committed $65 million to investments that finance energy efficiency upgrades. Launched by the Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI) and 15 partner organizations...

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The University of Chicago is looking to take on $200 million in debt to finance several projects, including a 265,000-square-foot science building proposed for its Hyde Park campus...

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After working on the concept for two years, School District 300, in conjunction with two other districts, is close to starting a 20-year wind turbine project. The school board is set to vote on the proposal at its Oct. 24 meeting. At Monday’s board meeting, the latest proposal by the School Wind Consortium Agency received tentative approval...

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The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the release of the second installment in a series of four 50% Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs). This latest guide will help architects, engineers, and contractors design and build highly efficient K-12 school buildings, saving taxpayer dollars. The 50% AEDG series provides a practical approach to designing schools and other major commercial building types that achieve 50% energy savings compared to the commercial building energy code used in many parts of the nation. These commercial building guides support President Obama’s goal to reduce energy use in commercial buildings 20% by 2020 and will help drive demand for energy-saving products made in the United States. The Advanced Energy Design Guide for 50% energy savings in K-12 schools is now available for download.

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Last year, the USGBC launched its Center for Green Schools (headed by Meet the Experts speaker Rachel Gutter), which aims to make schools across the nation more sustainable on all levels, from building design to facility management to curriculum development. This summer, the center took another step forward by launching its Green Schools Fellowship, which places “sustainability officers” in public schools around the nation for paid, three-year terms...

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Building energy modeling is a powerful tool that predicts a school facility’s energy usage. Different types of energy models are developed at various stages of a project to provide data that can verify or disprove suggested energy-efficiency measures. Education institutions should understand what an energy model can do and, more important, what the limitations of the model are at each stage of design and construction...

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Longtime advocates of energy-conservation efforts, Stevenson High School officials will be honored this month for adopting earth-friendly architectural standards. The Lincolnshire school is the first public high school in the nation to receive gold-level certification for an existing facility from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program...

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Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of daylight on the learning environment. Enhanced student performance and mood, increased teacher and student attendance, reduced energy costs, as well as a positive effect on the environment are some of the improvements seen in school buildings that use well-planned daylighting concepts...

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The Interdisciplinary Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield seeks an assistant professor with expertise in sustainability or sustainable development. The position will teach environmental social sciences and humanities, sustainable development and introductory sustainability courses. Successful candidates will have a Ph.D. in sustainability, sustainable development, environmental studies, environmental science or a related field. The review of applications will begin Oct. 24, 2011...

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AASHE has released a new database of hundreds of campus solar photovoltaic installations that reveals higher education's rapid adoption of solar. Among the notable findings is a 450 percent growth of installed solar capacity in the higher education sector over the last three years. The database enables higher education solar advocates to browse success stories at campuses of a similar type, size and location. To learn more, view additional charts and graphs, and contribute to this new resource, visit the database...

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The University of Michigan has announced plans to invest $14 million in campus sustainability initiatives. Plans include the purchase of a fleet of 37 hybrid vehicles, a 40 percent reduction in campus waste output, an "extensive" solar array installation and a formal commitment to support local farmers and producers. The university is aiming for a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025...

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The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh has dedicated its most environmentally friendly and efficient building on campus. Sustainable features of the 191,000-square-foot academic building include passive solar design, solar panels and a green roof. The university expects to save $182,000 annually on operating costs...

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