Grant helps new Carroll school go green
The new Carroll ISD middle school will be one of the greenest schools in the state when it opens in fall 2011.
The district received a $2 million State Energy Conservation Office grant through the state comptroller’s office. There was $32 million in SECO grants available and Carroll received the maximum amount allowed. The district must pay $1 million in matching funds.
Superintendent David Faltys said the money will be used to install a 40,000-50,000 square foot solar array on the building. Faltys said the panels should pay for themselves in 6-8 years.
“With this grant it will put our district at the forefront of utilizing green energy strategies,” said Faltys. “We will make the building as energy efficient as possible. We believe this will be the largest solar array on any school in the state and possibly the largest east of the Grand Canyon.”
In addition to the solar panels, the school also has other design elements to help cut down on energy costs. Faltys said most of the large windows face north and the south-facing windows feature awnings. Also, many of the inside areas of the school – such as the library — are lit with natural light when possible. Faltys said artificial lights could be on sensors and would come on when needed, but if it was sunny outside, the skylights would let in all of the light that is needed.
The district will also heat and cool water with an innovative process.
“The biggest thing is that we are going to use geothermal energy for heating and cooling of water,” said Faltys. “There will be between 1,200-1,400 wells, each 250-300 feet deep, drilled on the property. Water will be constantly pumped up and down to keep it around 68 degrees which makes heating and cooling easier. Some estimates say we could save 30 percent on the energy cost per year.”
The new campus, located on Kirkwood Boulevard, is under construction and should be completed in June 2011 before opening in August.