Fully electric Oregon elementary school aims for net-zero carbon and resiliency

Fully electric Oregon elementary school aims for net-zero carbon and resiliency 0 dbarista Tue, 04/30/2024 - 13:16 K-12 Schools The River Grove Elementary School in Oregon was designed for net-zero carbon and resiliency to seismic events, storms, and wildfire. The roughly 82,000-sf school in a Portland suburb will feature a microgrid—a small-scale power grid that operates independently from the area’s electric grid.  Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor River Grove Elementary School is one of the first American schools to feature a microgrid design. Education Facilities K-12 Schools School Construction Contractors Designers Designers / Specifiers / Landscape Architects Engineers Facility Managers Architects Building Owners Microgrid Energy Energy Efficiency Energy-Efficient Design Green Resiliency Sustainability Sustainable Development Sustainable Design and Construction River Grove Elementary School in Lake Oswego, Ore., was designed for net-zero carbon and resiliency to seismic events, storms, and wildfire. The roughly 82,000-sf school in a Portland suburb will feature a microgrid—a small-scale power grid that operates independently from the area’s electric grid. Design of the microgrid system was developed through a collaboration between the school district and the local utility provider. River Grove will be one of the first American schools to be constructed with a microgrid.The structure is designed to a higher seismic factor as a Category IV building that can offer shelter and emergency services to the neighboring community in the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster. It incorporates a fully electric, sophisticated ventilation and cooling system that, when fully operational, will have a net-zero energy use. The cooling system is a critical feature, with the area experiencing soaring temperatures during heatwaves in recent years. The region has also been impacted by smoke-filled air from forest fires and ice storms causing power outages for weeks.River Grove is a replacement of a 1967 elementary school that existed on the same site. The previous 68,846 sf school was fully demolished, and students moved off-site to another school during construction.The new school will provide classrooms, extended learning areas, an innovation lab, music room, stage, library, administration offices, gymnasium, kitchen, an outdoor covered play area, outdoor learning spaces, and play fields. The building is designed for a capacity of 600. The previous facility had a capacity of 575.Construction kicked off in June 2022, with completion expected for the school’s opening in Fall 2024.Owner and/or Developer: Lake Oswego School DistrictDesign Architect: ArcadisArchitect of Record: ArcadisMEP Engineer: GlumacStructural Engineer: KPFFGeneral Contractor: Triplett Wellman  Rendering: ArcadisRendering: ArcadisRendering: Arcadis