‘Iolani site praised as green

The building that houses ‘Iolani School’s Sullivan Center for Innovation and Leadership was recognized for its learning environment and energy performance Tuesday, making ‘Iolani the first school in the state to be verified by a green building rating program called the Collaborative for High Performance Schools.

The building received the status for its design, including:

>> Rooftop solar panels that move with the sun to maximize sunlight conversion into energy.

>> Computerization of the center’s lighting, air-conditioning and other mechanical systems.

>> A rooftop garden.

>> Low-flow toilets and waterless urinals.

>> Displays of the building’s electrical use in the center’s stairwells for students and faculty to see.

The project was designed by Honolulu-based Group 70 International.

CHPS is a school-focused green building rating program based in Sacramento, Calif. Some of the major focuses of the certification are how different lighting and acoustic designs can improve a learning environment.

William Orr, executive director of CHPS, announced the building’s status at an award ceremony and workshop Tuesday at the Sullivan Center.

Orr said the certification is encouraging the use of renewable energy to complement the design of schools, especially in Hawaii because of the state’s high electricity prices. He said it is important for schools to have an energy-efficient design before adding solar.

“You really have to address the energy efficiency,” Orr said. “You’ve got to do the energy efficiency first. … If you take a very inefficient building and slap solar on the roof, it’s cooling the outside.”

“CHPS is really trying to encourage schools to be solar-ready,” Orr said, “getting as much back from the renewable sources it’s using.”

Along with the Sullivan Center’s panels, ‘Iolani has panels across its campus. In 2010 Solar Wave Hawaii installed more than 2,000 solar panels at ‘Iolani School.

‘Iolani is the first of many schools in Hawaii that state officials hope will receive CHPS status. Orr said CHPS started working with state Department of Education in 2012.

“Anytime a new building is built on a DOE campus, (the new building) basically would follow this program,” Orr said.

After the event, CHPS held a training session for approximately 15 architectural and design teams working with the DOE to design other CHPS-certified schools. Of the roughly 50 guests in attendance, 18 were DOE employees.