Prioritizing Sustainability in Schools
Every day, millions of students in the U.S. attend schools that contribute significantly to our planet’s carbon footprint. Schools play a pivotal role in shaping our surrounding environments through food waste, energy use, general waste management, transportation, and water management. Annually, K-12 schools in the U.S. spend $8 billion on energy and emit an estimated 72 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 18 coal-fired power plants or 15.4 million cars, highlighting the urgent need for change.
Climate change is drastically transforming how people live, work, learn, and play. At OAC, we aim to build facilities that aren’t just energy efficient, but those that also have positive impacts on our environment, climate, and communities. Bellingham Public Schools recognized the significance of advocating for a healthy learning environment, assembling both Energy Use Intensity (EUI) and carbon benchmarking reports to improve their impact. For schools, EUI and carbon benchmarking provide actionable insights into energy consumption, paving the way for targeted improvements that reduce both operational costs and environmental impact.
Together, Bellingham Public Schools’ vision became our mission towards making sustainable progress within our communities and inspiring a brighter future for all.
Understanding EUI and Why It Matters
EUI measures a building’s energy performance by calculating the energy used per square foot annually by a building. This metric helps schools and other facilities compare energy usage against benchmarks, identify inefficiencies, and develop strategies for improvement. A lower EUI generally indicates better energy efficiency.
For schools, keeping EUI low not only reduces operating costs but also supports climate action and healthier environments. In May 2019, Washington State signed House Bill (HB) 1257, the “Clean Buildings Act,” into law to reduce fossil fuel pollution and operational costs in the state’s existing buildings. The law requires implementation of an energy performance standard for these buildings, offering incentives to encourage efficiency improvements. A phased approach is being used and tracking must begin in 2025 for buildings over 220,000 square feet. By 2027, tracking for all school district buildings must be in place, with the potential for fines of non-compliant buildings over 50,000 square feet.
“If HB 1257 were enacted when we started the District’s benchmarking process, potential fines for the non-compliant schools could have totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars. By getting a jump start on benchmarking the District was able to get in front of the requirements, figure out where inefficiencies were, address them, and work to eliminate potential fines.” -Joshua Cloud, OAC Senior Director
Understanding EUI targets empowers schools to prioritize activities for non-compliant facilities. It helps them visualize ways they can improve efficiency, including the replacement, removal, or repair of assets contributing to high EUI. This approach ultimately helps school districts save money by avoiding potential fines. Most importantly, it’s proactively addressing the climate crisis and helping to improve sustainability in schools.
Driving Sustainable Change
Bellingham Public Schools, which comprises 22 schools and approximately 12,000 students, established its first Sustainability Advisory Committee in 2022 to develop a comprehensive plan to integrate sustainability throughout the district.
To support the district’s sustainability priorities, OAC’s team of sustainability experts collaborated with Bellingham Public Schools. Their efforts involved the assembly of both carbon and EUI benchmarking reports and dashboards for the district to make progress toward its goals.
Carbon Benchmarking
The district’s first-ever carbon benchmarking report entailed evaluating historical and current emissions to compile a comprehensive report focused on Bellingham High School’s electricity, natural gas, and water use. During this process, OAC actively engaged students, dedicating six weeks to collaboratively analyze data provided by facilities and calculate their school’s carbon usage. This hands-on approach allowed students to see firsthand the impact they could have on fighting the climate crisis.
The final report allows Bellingham Public Schools to better manage their energy use, produce energy consumption forecasts, and measure progress within their district. It further empowers their schools to design thoughtful learning environments where students, faculty, and guests can thrive.
EUI Benchmarking
In anticipation of the new WA HB 1257 requirements, OAC helped Bellingham Public Schools tackle the EUI benchmarking process early. We compiled an EUI benchmarking report that summarizes the 2022 & 2023 benchmarking results for the district’s 22 schools. This involved reviewing utility bills for electricity, natural gas, and water use at each school. We uploaded and tracked the data, meeting with district leaders to analyze trends and outliers. To facilitate ongoing tracking and compliance, OAC created a dashboard benchmarking tool that reveals year-over-year EUI/carbon trends and allows for comparison across multiple sites, enabling quick review of HB 1257 compliance mandates. By visualizing this information, Bellingham Public Schools can “see” where efficiencies are improving and where more work is needed, allowing the district to stay proactive in meeting EUI goals and avoid potential fines.
“Bellingham Public Schools is committed to improving our sustainability practices; conserving resources is paramount to our efforts. In order to get better, we needed baseline data and a system for ongoing data collection to track our progress. The EUI/Carbon benchmarking framework OAC developed is a key tool to help us meet our goals.” – Jessica Sankey, Bellingham Public Schools Chief Operations Officer
This benchmarking exercise helped Bellingham Public Schools identify areas of improvement, avoid potential fines, and enhance opportunities for savings. Our initial analysis of 2022 data revealed that out of the 22 schools assessed, 12 did not meet the EUI targets. One year later with facility and process improvements, only 5 schools did not meet EUI targets. The District aims for all Bellingham Public School facilities to meet EUI targets by the start of phased compliance of HB 1257 in 2026. With thorough benchmarking data and an established review process, this goal is clearly within reach.
“This initiative aims to drive down greenhouse gas emissions related to the built environment. Subsequently, reductions in EUI will better optimize taxpayer dollars in our publicly financed facilities while also improving the health of learning environments for students, teachers, and our communities. A good old-fashioned triple-bottom-line win!” – Joshua Cloud, OAC Senior Director
Building Better Communities
Prioritizing sustainability within schools is essential. Not only does it improve students’ health and well-being, but it also positions schools as leaders in climate action. Like Bellingham Public Schools, we encourage school districts to take action now. By doing so, you can proactively address any unmet requirements and allocate time to reduce EUI and potential fines.
By setting ambitious targets, tracking energy use, and involving the community, Bellingham Public Schools is leading the way in sustainable education. Together, let’s help all schools meet these critical standards.
At OAC, we are dedicated to analyzing trends, tracking data, and prioritizing support for schools in need. To learn more about our sustainability services, contact us at [email protected].