Navigation Daylighting and Schools   How Can It Help? Check out these daylighting facts and figures to see how daylighting can make an impact in your world. Daylighting and Energy Usage Daylighting and Retail Sales Daylighting and Health Daylighting and Real Estate Daylighting and Productivity Daylighting and Schools Daylighting Links Request More Information Teach your children well > A series of schools built in Johnston County, NC, replaced artificial lights with natural light, which resulted in between 22 percent and 64 percent energy savings as compared to typical neighboring schools. Since their construction, the schools have saved Johnson County Schools in excess of $500,000 in energy bills. Additionally, students who attended the schools out-performed students in comparable non-daylit schools by five to 14 percent. The daylighting measures cost less than one percent of the construction budget and achieved a payback in less than three years. (Environmental Design & Construction, January 1998) (US, Department of Energy's Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs Report, "Energy-Smart Building Choices: How School Administrators, & Board Members Are Improving Learning and Saving Money",2002) > A recent study conducted by the Heschong Mahone Group for Pacific Gas & Electric Company tested 21,000 students in three states and found that those in classrooms with the most daylighting progressed 20 percent faster on math tests and 26 percent faster on reading tests in one year than those with the least. (Heschong Mahone Group, "Daylighting in Schools" report at: www.h-m-g.com, 1999) > A study of 90 school children in Sweden shows that a lack of daylight can disrupt their chronobiology (internal body docks) and can result in significant psychological and physiological impairment. The study followed the health and behavior of children in classrooms with and without windows for an entire academic year, measuring the childrenÌs production of cortisol (a stress hormone governed by the bodyÌs biological clock). It concluded that work in classrooms without daylight may upset the basic hormone pattern and may in turn influence childrenÌs ability to concentrate and cooperate and also eventually impact annual body growth and sick leave. (Report by the Parsons School of Design, New School of Social Research in New York analyzing 60 studies and articles on the topic of daylighting and productivity, 1999) (National Renewable Energy Laboratory Report, ÏDaylighting in Schools: Improving Student Performance and Health at a Price Schools Can Afford, 2000) > According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, 72 percent of the cost of energy in education buildings goes towards electricity with the majority (56 percent) going toward lighting. Americas K-12 schools will spend $6 billion on annual energy costs, a cost that is second only to salaries and exceeds that of computers, supplies and books. Making a significant cut in electricity costs through daylighting can amount to substantial savings for other school expenses. (School Planning and Management, November 2000) > An energy-efficient school district with approximately 4,000 students can save as much as $100,000 per year in energy costs. Over a 10-year period, the savings can reach $1 million. Spending less on operating costs enables school districts to redirect dollars to more critical educational needs, such as hiring additional teachers, purchasing new computers and instructional materials, or paying for necessary capital improvements. (US, Department of EnergyÌs Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs Report, "Energy-Smart Building Choices: How School Administrators, & Board Members Are Improving Learning and Saving Money",2002) > According to a survey conducted in 2001 by the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO), 97 percent of the 154 districts reported increased energy costs, and 85 percent reported that these unbudgeted expenditures threatened moneys allocated for student instruction. However, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, integrating energy efficiency and renewable measures can save school districts 20 to 30 percent in energy costs in renovation projects, or 30 to 40 percent in new school projects. This savings could instead be used to meet the needs of students, through books, better equipment and better paid teachers. (Engineering News Record April 29, 2002) (School Planning and Management, November 2001) Easy Solutions Products for Schools There are many different products available for daylighting a school or municipal building. One of the more popular ways is with large skylights, or High Performance Daylighting Systems. These custom skylights allow daylight to fill your common areas and classrooms, minimizing daytime operating costs. Click this link to learn more about High Performance Daylighting Systems. Product Solutions Tubular Skylights High Performace Daylighting Systems Copyright HUVCO L.L.C 2005 Privacy Policy