San

Diego Unifieds classroom air conditioning plan has potential

New technologies could augment plan, reducing costs and carbon footprint

SAN DIEGO (Nov. 19, 2015)---Sustainability Matters has initiated discussions with the San Diego
Unified School District to offer cost-effective, sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions to
improve the districts plan to spend $204 million to install air conditioning in every classroom.
San Diego Unified has a wonderful opportunity to lead by example on sustainability. Simply
installing air conditioning by itself is an expensive, energy-intensive approach, said Kristen Victor,
CEO of Sustainability Matters, a building design consulting firm based in San Diego. As our climate
changes, and government policies start to reflect those changes, it is important to consider more
efficient, affordable approaches to managing our energy needs while maintaining safe and
comfortable classroom environments.
After record-breaking heat waves pushed classroom temperatures above 90 degrees on multiple
days in September and October, some students and parents demanded the district do something
about the hundreds of classrooms without air conditioning. The districts board voted Nov. 10 to
install air conditioning in every classroom even in coastal classrooms that may only use the
systems a few weeks a year.
In order to run and maintain the new units, the district has said it will have to budget roughly $2.8
million a year for electricity, and $1.4 million a year for maintenance and repairs. Sustainability
Matters is able to develop solutions to help the district reduce those costs and reduce its carbon
footprint. The district has expressed interest in a holistic strategy that includes passive cooling
techniques.
Passive cooling, by nature, does not require electricity so it is more sustainable and more
affordable. New forms of thermal insulation have recently become available that can greatly reduce
the need for air conditioning or shift the energy load to off-peak hours. These specially engineered
materials naturally absorb and store excess heat during the day and release it at night.
Sustainability Matters has demonstrated the effectiveness of passive energy strategies in several
projects in the San Diego region, including Casa Aguila, the countys first passive house near
Ramona; and The Patio on Goldfinch in Mission Hills. Sustainability Matters also is consulting with
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on an energy retrofit project at the Armys Fort Irwin National
Training Center in the High Desert, which quickly experienced significant energy savings.

At each of these locations, passive cooling strategies that do not use electricity are lowering energy
costs, protecting the environment and effectively maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures
with little to no assistance from air conditioning units and other mechanical devices.
The need for solutions in San Diego classrooms is clear. Data gathered through a project organized
by Sustainability Matters and the Pacific Beach Elementary Parent Teacher Organization in
September and October found that indoor temperatures in two classrooms hovered in the high 80s
and low 90s for nearly a week while class was in session.
Heather Worms, president of the Pacific Beach Elementary Parent Teacher Organization, said the
conditions led to multiple students and teachers being treated for heat exhaustion. A number of
parents kept their children home from school on the hottest days.
Teachers shouldnt be teaching in that, Worms said. Students cant learn in that. Its just such a
waste. Teachers are turning off the lights and putting on a movie because theres nothing else they
can do.
The district can leverage its resources and influence to help foster a culture of innovation and
conservation in San Diego, Victor said.
In addition to energy solutions, the district can capitalize on water conservation opportunities. As
local water districts raise rates to pay for new infrastructure, the district should continue to
investigate the potential for graywater and rainwater harvesting, Victor said. Sustainability Matters,
the Pacific Beach EcoDistrict, and Pacific Beach Elementary School, for example, are collaborating
on a project to demonstrate the effectiveness of rain barrel systems at the school. Similar projects
could be replicated at schools throughout the district.
Media contact: Tony Manolatos, Apex Strategies
tony@apexstrat.com 619-549-0137

About: Sustainability Matters is a San Diego-based building design consulting firm that drives innovation,
advocates for a regenerative culture, and builds sustainable solutions for businesses, communities and
government agencies. Sustainability Matters serves a wide-range of clients, including communities, businesses,
developers, and government agencies. Our areas of expertise include: energy conservation strategies, energy
reduction technologies, water conservation strategies, water reduction and reuse technologies, regulatory and
policy framework and low carbon logistics. Learn more at www.sustainabilitymatters.us.