According to a new study by McGraw-Hill Construction, both K-12 and universities plan to continue investments in green schools, citing financial and social benefits. The New & Retrofit Green Schools study shows social benefits, such as improved health and productivity, are critical drivers for the education sector and equally as important as financial drivers, according to the announcement.
The study also shows that cost savings are critically important to the education sector, as they are to all other sectors. Over 75 percent of respondents in both K-12 and higher education report that reducing energy use, operational savings and improving 10-year operating costs are important reasons that have led them to build green. Financially, 58 percent of administrators, facility managers and school design, and construction and real estate staffs at K-12 schools report decreased energy use in their green buildings, and 55 percent cite lower annual costs. For higher education, the financial benefits equate to 55 percent of respondents reporting decreased energy use and 46 percent reporting lower annual costs.
In addition, 81 percent of the respondents for the K-12 sector report doing at least some new green projects over the last three years, and 84 percent report doing green renovations.
