Staten Island's planned "net zero" school, which was announced in 2011 and broke ground in 2012, is taking shape. With P.S. 62 slated to open in the fall of 2015, housing 444 pre-K through fifth-grade students, exciting (and very technical) details about the $70 million, 68,680-square-foot project have emerged via architecture powerhouse Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which has renderings and details posted on its website. The Wall Street Journal dove into the nitty-gritty of the energy-saving design and amenities. The school "will produce at least as much energy as it consumes over the course of a year, and possibly even be able to sell energy back to the grid." That's made a reality by several measures: a football field-sized array of more than 2,000 solar panels; a wind turbine, "energy-generating exercise equipment"; LED lights with motion sensors; skylights as another light source; and special kitchen equipment and HVAC systems. Get this: geothermal wells will take advantage of 50-degree groundwater year-round, using it to help heat and cool the building. N.B.: The whole shebang made attendees at a sustainable schools conference "erupt in audible gasps."
· Building a School Replaces Its Used Energy [WSJ]
· P.S. 62 Net Zero Energy School [SOM]
· P.S. 62 Net Zero Energy School – Sustainable Design [SOM]
· All P.S. 62 coverage [Curbed]
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