P.S. 62 The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability

New Net Zero Energy Primary School

Staten Island, NY

AKF was part of the competition-winning team selected to design P.S. 62, a new school to serve 440 pre-kindergarten through 5th grade students on Staten Island. This groundbreaking school became the first net zero energy school in New York City, harvesting as much energy from renewable on-site sources as it uses on an annual basis. Through interactive energy dashboards and sustainability-centric curriculum, the school serves as a teaching tool for students and staff to become thoughtful stewards of the environment.

To achieve strict project goals, AKF worked with the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) and SOM Architects. The primary renewable energy system is a roof-mounted photovoltaic array comprised of 2,023 panels. The building incorporates many additional sustainable and low-energy features to reduce the amount of energy required on an annual basis. The primary HVAC system is a geo-exchange system serving water-to-water heat pumps. All outside air is pre-treated with energy recovery ventilators and demand control ventilation is used to further reduce energy use. The building orientation has been optimized for daylight with all classrooms facing north or south.

Through a series of workshops with key user stakeholder groups, AKF provided context for energy use in buildings, educated users on what it means to occupy a net zero energy building, and explored with users how they can deliver the educational mission of the school. To assist occupants with operating the building with as little energy as possible, AKF provided technical content for a user manual written for both student and adult users to encourage active user participation.

Technical Statistics

OWNER: P.S. 62 The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability
PROJECT NAME: New Net Zero Energy Primary School
PROJECT SIZE: 66,000 SF
ARCHITECT: SOM
INDUSTRIES: Education
AWARDS: 2017 ASHRAE NY Technology Awards Region I Winner, 2017 NY-AEE Awards Innovative Energy Project of the Year, 2016 ACEC NY Engineering Excellence Platinum Award, 2016 AIA NY COTE Honor Award, 2016 ENR NY Regional Best Projects Best Green Project, 2015 ACEC NY Engineering Excellence Platinum Award
CERTIFICATIONS: SCA Green Schools Guide (in lieu of LEED Certification)
PS62R