BOULDER: Two different features of the Bond project at Manhattan Middle School for the Arts and Academics are working to help reduce the school’s carbon footprint.

On top of the new science wing at the school are mounted 48 photovoltaic panels which generate 9.8 kilowatts to power portions of the mechanical and electrical systems in the new addition. In the event the system output exceeds building demand, excess energy is pumped back into the grid.

“Instead of just reading about the subject, the students and staff can see tangible examples of what the recent buzz word 'sustainable' is all about. The hands-on teaching aspect translates science, mathematics, and physics into real life. I relate it to reading about a man on the moon versus actually seeing it happen,” said Project Manager Tom Blahak of Heery International.

Students and staff can monitor the system’s output through a digital display near the new science rooms. The information can also be accessed online at: http://view2.fatspaniel.net/PV2Web/merge?&view=PV/standard/Simple&eid=156154 .

In addition to providing energy to the school, the system also will support learning. Teachers at the school plan to develop a teaching module that will use the system as a teaching tool.
 
The installation of the panels was made possible through a partnership with the Governor’s Energy Office which covered 50 percent of the installation costs. Namaste Solar Electric, a Boulder company, provided the design and installation for the system.

Renewable power sources also are found in the parking lot and the outside basketball court in the form of two new dual-power light poles. Each system has both an Airbreeze wind turbine and a 170 watt photovoltaic panel. The energy generated by these systems provides enough charge to the batteries on the poles to keep the lights on from dusk until dawn without tapping into an outside power source.

According to Blahak, another advantage to these poles’ energy independence was a lower installation cost compared to a typical outside light fixture. Since these poles did not have to be connected to a power supply at the school building, there was no need to tear up asphalt to excavate a trench and run power cables, reducing the cost of the installation. According to Blahak, the project would not have been able to afford both new lights otherwise. Next Generation Energy, a Lafayette company, provided the design and installation for the poles. 

The $10.4 million Manhattan Middle School project is part of the $296.8 million Bond Program approved by Boulder Valley School District voters in 2006. OZ Architecture was responsible for project design and Adolfson and Peterson was the general contractor.

Manhattan Middle School is one of seven facilities in Boulder Valley School District with renewable technologies including wind, solar and geothermal. Currently, the District is working on expanding the use of renewable technologies through a solar grant from the Center for Resource Conservation and the Bond Program.

About Sustainability Efforts at BVSD
This spring, BVSD will engage in the development of a Sustainability Management System (SMS). This will involve multiple stakeholders both within and beyond our organization. This process includes, but is not limited to, developing short and long term visions and goals around sustainability and creating strategies for meeting these goals. In conjunction with the SMS process, and in partnership with the Governor’s Energy Office, BVSD will create specific goals around sustainability for Phase 2 and Phase 3 bond projects.