Evie Garrett Dennis Campus: Denver, CO

NZEB in Progress

When Denver Public Schools identified the need for additional schools to serve a growing suburban area, it decided to pursue a net zero energy multi-school campus that teaches students to value sustainability. Photovoltaic panels on the student union roof produce enough electricity to power two of the campus buildings. Other buildings are designed so that a renewable energy source such as PV panels can be easily added in the future when funding is available. Wall cutaways reveal piping and insulation, and signs explain the high performance features of the campus. Major contributors to the building's annual energy use of 33.4 kBtu/ft² include high efficiency heat pumps and geoexchange fields, a tight building envelope and daylighting.