A Perfect Score
The nearby Machias Elementary School has recently re-opened after spending the last 18 months under construction. The original school was torn down to accommodate this new building. This school was built not only to meet the Energy Star rating, but was set to achieve a perfect score of 100 points on their rating system. Many of the glulam beams from the original school were salvaged and used in the construction of the new structure in the exterior walls, even some of the old bricks and concrete were reused. All of the windows are triple pane and there are skylights from the top all the way down allowing as much natural light as possible. No fossil fuels are used and there will be no gas or propane bills for the school district to pay for this school. For heat and air-conditioning the school will use Ground source Geothermal wells that are 2000ft deep, there are 140 wells total. The roof of the school was fitted with 100 solar panels that, even on a cloudy day, can produce up to 260 kilowatts of energy. This will cover up to 43% of the school’s energy needs on an annual basis and their savings will pay back taxpayers within 6-10 years. The building also has interactive displays and windows that look into the walls so students are able to learn about the building and some of it’s great hidden features.*
This school has been highlighted in several media publications due to it’s unique structure and it’s energy efficiency. I have listed links for a video/article from a TV station and an article from a local newspaper, the pictures from the paper are of the school. You will most likely drive by it at some point during your experience at my cache (either driving to or leaving GZ), so please be sure to take a glance as you go by.
King 5 article & video
Everett Herald 1/3/11
*Information gathered from the Snohomish School District website