Page 12 - School Planning & Management, March 2019

INTELLIGENT SCHOOLS
SMART SCHOOLS TODAY
“When an architect adds optimized intelligence to a school building today, he or she focuses on four features,” says Mark Hanson, director of Sustainable Services with Appleton, Wisc.-based Hoffman Plan- ning, Design & Construction, Inc.
First, the architect will add modern conveniences and economies to the overall structure. For example, these might in- clude insulated windows and solar power.
Second, continues Hanson, a designer will work on integrating the building sys- tems, including the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, water, and security systems. Appropriate controls, such as integration, enable a maintenance technician to moni- tor and evaluate building performance and utility trends. Armed with that knowledge, a technician can make adjustments by tap- ping into the building automation system (BAS) on-site or from a remote location.
Third, according to the EPA, a connect- ed building can provide people services better than a conventional building. Such
a building can sense what spaces in the building are occupied, by one person or a group, and what the occupants might need to be comfortable. Of course, if the building makes a poor decision, occupants can over- ride the controls and control their area’s environment themselves.
Intelligent integration. Intelligent buildings have gotten a lot smarter in the past 40 years. Once only a term that related to HVAC controls, it has grown to include features that save energy across the board. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the greatest gains in energy efficiency come when teams take a whole-building approach, rather than tackling individual upgrades and projects in isolation. This type of approach should include elements like mechanical, electrical, plumbing, water, and security systems.
Fourth comes the task of improving building management. “The building needs to be connected to the Internet,” Hanson says. “The building also needs sensors that keep track of the people in the building: How many people are in the building? Where are they in the building?
“When a properly programmed build- ing senses occupancy, its building automa- tion system will reduce the window shad-
ing to allow for daylighting. If the daylight available at the time proves insufficient, the building will turn on the lights in that part of the building.
According to the EPA, designers
should check out an EPA tool called the “Target Finder Calculator.” The calculator scores an intelligent design and offers a qualified opinion as to whether the design’s predicted energy use measures up to real K-12 schools operating across the country. “A score of 75 or higher means that, once built, the school should be more energy efficient than 75 percent of similar schools across the country,” says the EPA in a written statement. “In these cases, firms’ designs may be recognized as ‘Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR’ by the U.S. EPA. More than 230 K-12 Schools have earned this distinction since 2004.”
The EPA statement goes on to note that if “an intelligent building operates as intended, the savings can be substantial. ENERGY STAR certified buildings (those that perform better than 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide) typically use 35 percent less energy than typical buildings. For K-12 schools, these cost
12 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / MARCH 2019
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