HVAC controls put middle school in energy efficiency LEED®
Then, throughout the rest of the day, the students continuously refer to "Vital Signs" screens as they relate to the curriculum being taught in each class. In science, for example, they might use a "daylighting" screen to learn how the angle of the sun changes throughout the course of the year. In math, students can interact with "Vital Signs" to calculate how a 1-in. rainfall equates to hundreds of gal of water harvested from the building's roof for low flow toilets, urinals, and other gray-water uses.
"Twenhofel is unique in that the building itself has been designed to serve as a teaching tool, where students can see how a building functions and the enormous effect they have as occupants on its performance," said Robert Lape, facilities director for the Kenton County Schools System, one of the largest in Kentucky. "We call it a ‘high-performance' school, where students can excel through an enhanced environment, while at the same time reducing the total energy and life-cycle costs to the school district by meeting and exceeding LEED® certification requirements."