Two New Jersey schools have been chosen by the U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit organization that is committed to forging a prosperous and sustainable future, to help create the blueprint for other schools nationwide to go “green.”
In October 2014, the U.S. Green Building Council selected P.S. 5 in Jersey City and Perth Amboy High School to help create a statewide framework for a green school master plan that can be replicated at schools nationwide. The plan will include strategies for schools to achieve cost savings through various sustainability strategies. The plan will also include the establishment of a set of measureable objectives; development of a credit matrix for bridging the various green school certifications and conducting facility audits; sharing of resources through an online platform; and development of the Sustainable School District Guidebook.
The average age of a school building in New Jersey exceeds 50 years, which means that capital improvements are necessary in some cases. In addition, districts must comply with government requirements. While USGBC NJ – in collaboration with NJSBA – has the expertise to help districts connect to a wealth of available financial mechanisms and to develop their strategies, there is a need to formalize a set of best practices that will allow districts and schools to achieve sustainability in a more streamlined and expedient fashion. This need serves as the impetus for the green school master plan project.
Information
Contact: Josh Berkman, [email protected]
Online: http://www.usgbcnj.org/news/3131838
Selected by the U.S. Green Building Council