Oregon School District’s 126,000 square foot Forest Edge Elementary School is the first zero net energy school built in Wisconsin. The new $40 million school, designed and built by Bray Architects, HGA and Findorff with MSA as the electric system design engineer, is energy efficient, all-electric with geothermal heating and cooling and battery storage, and generates all its energy needs on site from renewable energy. The 646 kW DC rooftop solar system with bifacial panels installed by Full Spectrum Solar will save $82,000 annually in energy costs. MREA, MSA, WSJ
In contrast, Madison Area Technical College’s Fort Atkinson campus will become a net-zero electrical facility with a 150-kilowatt solar PV system generating as much electricity as is used (this does not cover the energy used for heating). madisoncollege
“The buildings and buildings construction sectors combined are responsible for 36% of global final energy consumption and nearly 40% of total direct and indirect CO2 emissions.” (IEA, 2020).