Cincinnati Public Schools is Going Green
The Cincinnati Public School district passed a resolution last year to include environmentally friendly features into the design of about two dozen schools that are being built or will soon be under construction.
The school district will be creating “green” buildings by adding things such as vegetative green roofs, geothermal energy and locally harvested wood.
“CPS has stepped up as a leader in adopting this unique program that will benefit future generations of students here in Cincinnati,” said Robert Knight, a CPS architect consultant. “We’re on the leading edge of the sustainable movement as it relates to the design and construction of schools here in the greater Cincinnati area. This is definitely a reason to celebrate.”
Schools across the country are increasingly going green.
On average, green schools use 30 percent less energy, 40 percent less water and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent, according to CPS statistics. This results in savings of more than $100,000 annually per school, and if all schools were to go green, the energy savings would be roughly $20 billion over the next 10 years.
Throughout the next several years, Ohio will be spending approximately $4 billion on new and renovated schools, and at least 250 of these schools will gain LEED Silver certification. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
Certification is granted by the U.S. Green Building Council for buildings that make exceptional use of daylight, have high indoor air quality and conserve energy and water for lower operating costs.
A silver rating describes a building whose design merits 37 to 43 out of 79 possible points. Points are awarded for nearly everything involved in the construction of a new building, including how a building is positioned on a site, how the building is constructed and how it operates.
“It was the Pleasant Ridge school planning team’s insistence that the schools be certified to LEED standards that became a catalyst to help convince the Ohio school facilities commission to adopt LEED standards for all schools in Ohio,” said Michael Burson, director of planning and construction for CPS.
The new Pleasant Ridge Montessori School opened in August and leads the CPS school district’s move toward environmentally friendly buildings. It was CPS’s first school built to LEED Silver certification and also the first public school in Ohio to seek this certification. The building features an environmentally friendly heating and cooling system, tall classroom windows with built-in window blinds to allow daylight coming in to be adjusted to cut down on electrical use, and carpeting made from recycled plastic bottles.
“When you walk into the lobby and see the big windows and how tall the ceilings are, your eyes get big,” said Pat Vanderzee, a resident of Pleasant Ridge. “There’s just this feeling of awe, and it’s a great place to be in.”
Soon, Cincinnati will be home to at least 22 eco-friendly schools built to LEED silver standards. Students will spend their time learning in rooms filled with windows that let in sunlight and fresh air rather than dark and stuffy classrooms. The CPS’s “green buildings” will also provide lessons to their students, who will be surrounded by examples of things that are kind to the environment, such as solar power, permeable surfaces to reduce the impact of storm-water runoff, rooftop gardens to help control the temperatures in buildings and recycling and waste reduction.
“The resolution to build green buildings will help sustainability, improve indoor air quality, and save energy and costs in the long term,” said Michael Albrecht, supervisor of facilities maintenance at CPS.
CPS’s green focus will result in one of the nation’s largest concentrations of school buildings built with sustainable design. This means buildings will be environmentally friendly, conserve energy and use alternative energy resources in a way that will not deplete them.
In the past, people probably would have thought of a “green building” as being a building that was simply painted green. However, the idea of eco-friendly buildings is slowly catching on, and the idea is not just limited to schools. Building professionals are beginning to see both the environmental and cost benefits of creating green buildings.
“The new school buildings are generating interest and enthusiasm in their neighborhoods for green design initiative that reach beyond the walls of the school and out to the communities,” said Robin Brandon, project coordinator at CPS.
5pm
Freightliner Accident on I-275
A freightliner traveling east on I-275 to Cincinnati yesterday afternoon, Monday, August 25th, tangled with 8 vehicles at around 5 pm. Officer Matt Baker of the Kentucky State Police reported that at that time, there was heavy traffic in this area, with travelers traveling in and out of Cincinnati.
The collision left 5 people in the hospital. None of the injuries were reported critical, and Officer Baker confirmed that everyone was expected to be able to leave the hospital Monday night.
The truck was carrying 70 tanks of potentially dangerous gases. In the truck, were canisters containing oxygen, carbon dioxide, acetylene, and argon. When acetylene and oxygen combine, they can become flammable. This was not only a major concern for Kentucky State Police, but also for Northern Kentucky University president, Dr. James C. Vortruba.
Kentucky State Police closed traffic in both directions on I-275 Monday afternoon. Officer Baker also reported that there was an evacuation issued within a 1 mile radius from the scene of the accident.
The interstate was expected to re-open at 10 pm. Officer Baker confirmed that there would be environmental specialists investigating the area to make sure it was safe before it was re-opened and the evacuation was called off.
President Vortruba announced that all classes would be cancelled Monday afternoon, and NKU’s campus was to be evacuated until 10 pm as well. Classes will resume Tuesday morning.
Charges are still pending for the driver of the freightliner.
5pm