Southwest Energy Efficiency Project

Silver Creek Middle/Senior High School, Longmont

Silver Creek Middle/Senior High School, Longmont Silver Lake Middle/Senior High School, the newest high school in the St. Vrain Valley School District, features an attractive and practical energy-efficient design. Open since August 2001, this 180,000 square foot facility is home to 1,200 students and accompanying staff during the school year, and sits on a 50-acre site on the western edge of Longmont, in Boulder County.

Designed from the beginning with energy efficiency in mind, Silver Creek High features floor-to-ceiling energy-efficient windows throughout that maximize daylighting opportunities. Individual classrooms are equipped with sensors and photocells that automatically sense occupancy and light levels, thus using electricity for lighting only when necessary. The school's cooling system is designed to allow flexible operation and to prevent the need to run a large chiller when only a portion of the building is occupied, typically during summer months. Chilled air is provided by multiple rooftop units, allowing for the zoning of interior spaces.

Silver Creek Middle/Senior High School, Longmont These design strategies provide a comfortable climate for students and staff, and save energy and maintenance expenses while creating a pleasant and effective learning environment. In its first year of operation, Silver Creek High School's energy costs were $0.69 per square foot, approximately 30 percent less than typical school facilities in the region. Furthermore, carefully conducted research has shown that a high level of daylighting in schools is positively correlated with student performance.¹

On a broader scale, the approach taken at Silver Creek High School is an extension of St. Vrain Valley School District's commitment to energy efficiency and conservation. Begun in 1993, the district's energy management and education program initially focused on conservation, primarily through an intensive education campaign. Since 1997, attention has been directed to retrofit projects at district facilities through a performance contract with an energy service company (ESCO) in addition to construction of efficient new schools. This dual approach - management techniques that focus on efficiency and education campaigns aimed at conservation - has resulted in $4.1 million in energy savings district-wide since the program's inception in 1993.

¹ Heschong, L., and R. Wright. 2002. "Daylighting and Human Performance: Latest Findings." In Proceedings of the 2002 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings. Washington, DC: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

© 2002-2008 Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
2260 Baseline Rd. Suite 212, Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 447-0078 fax: (303) 786-8054 info@swenergy.org

Last Updated: 01/28/2008