Portland, Ore. — April 10, 2009 — Da Vinci Arts Middle School in Portland is celebrating a roofing renaissance at its new LEED Platinum-anticipated, net zero energy, high performance classroom building. The school will host an open house 10-11 a.m. April 10 to showcase the latest innovation of its groundbreaking building: a roof constructed with integrated photovoltaic (PV) solar tiles.

Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) donated 150 32-watt SolarSave® tiles from Applied Solar, Inc. that are being integrated into the roof and wired to an inverter in the building. When combined with a smaller, pole-mounted PV array already located at the site, these two systems will generate up to 6.3 kW of energy — enough to provide the 1,490-square-foot building’s electricity needs — making it the first net zero energy, LEED Platinum-anticipated, freestanding public school classroom in the nation.

“This project is a landmark for Portland Public Schools, providing a model for high-performance learning spaces of the future,” said Nancy Bond, PPS resource conservation specialist. “We are thrilled to have such engaged, forward-thinking community partners to help us make it a reality.”

The building will house a music room, two practice rooms and a small recording studio. Scheduled to be completed this summer and to be filled with music-making students in September, the building has a high thermal mass (thanks to thick walls) and boasts an innovative design that incorporates natural ventilation and day-lighting as well as nightly venting to regulate heating. It is being built with non-toxic, environmentally friendly materials and processes and will employ an artistic storm-water management system that connects to an adjacent garden.

Designed as a showcase of technologies for future district renovation and new construction projects, the building has benefited from more than $500,000 in design, construction and consulting services donated by the community, including significant contributions from SRG Architects, Todd Hess Building Co. and PBS Engineering.

“BEF looks for opportunities like this to put innovative renewable energy technology to work generating electricity and teaching students at the same time," said CEO Margie Gardner.

The da Vinci High Performance Classroom project is the sixth collaboration between Portland Public Schools and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Solar 4R Schools program. In addition to donating the solar tiles, BEF also consulted with the engineers and architects during the construction process and contributed educational materials and teacher training opportunities through its Solar 4R Schools program to help make the building a focal point of learning both about music and renewable energy.

BEF also has worked with Portland Public Schools to provide renewable energy education and solar demonstration installations at Cleveland and Lincoln high schools, Rosa Parks Elementary School and Sunnyside Environmental School, as well an earlier project at da Vinci. Previous projects were funded with the support of Energy Trust of Oregon and Portland General Electric.

The da Vinci classroom project was a 2007 recipient of the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development's Green Investment Fund. Updates on the building’s construction are available at http://facilities.pps.k12.or.us/.docs/pg/11207.

About da Vinci Arts Middle School

Teachers at the 450-student da Vinci Arts Middle School, 2508 NE Everett Street, Portland, seek innovative ways to integrate the arts throughout the curriculum, provide focused arts instruction and create a rich, inquiry-based learning environment with high standards of academic excellence. They are taking a leading role in assisting its district in the creation of a K-12 arts integrated program. The school provides a safe, supportive and nurturing environment that encourages its diverse student body to take the risks necessary to reach its personal, artistic and academic potential, and to become leaders in the community. Da Vinci Arts Middle School is committed to enriching the Portland community by creating a diverse and active home for artists, lovers of art, creative students and their families. For more information, go to davinci.pps.k12.or.us.

About the Project Partners

The da Vinci Arts High Performance Classroom was made possible through the contributions of more than 20 project partners, including: BEA Consulting/GBS, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Business Energy Tax Credit, Carlson Testing, Center Pointe Signs, Cisco, Christensen Electric, City of Portland Green Investment Fund, Climatech, da Vinci Middle School, Energy Studies in Buildings Lab, Energy Trust of Oregon, Green Building Services, Greenworks, KPFF, Listen Acoustics, Mark Edlen, Oregon Department of Energy, Owens Corning, PBS Engineering and Environmental, Portland Public Schools, Solarc Engineering, SRG, Todd Hess Building Co., Walsh Construction, Waste Management.

About LEED Certification

LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000 through a consensus-based process, LEED serves as a tool for buildings of all types and sizes. LEED certification offers third-party validation of a project’s green features and verifies that the building is operating exactly the way it was designed to. LEED is a point-based system where projects earn LEED points for satisfying specific green building criteria. Within each of the six LEED credit categories, projects must satisfy particular prerequisites and earn points. The six categories are Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation in Design (projects can earn ID points for green building innovations). The number of points that projects earn determines the level of LEED Certification the project receives. LEED certification is available in four progressive levels: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

About BEF

An entrepreneurial nonprofit, Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) is creating a more sustainable future by investing now in clean energy and fresh water. When customers purchase BEF’s independently certified carbon offsets, they support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the development of new renewable energy facilities. Additionally, their purchase supports long-term watershed restoration and renewable energy education for students and communities nationwide because BEF reinvests its net revenue to fund its 10-year Model Watershed and Solar 4R Schools programs. Since its was established in Portland, Ore. in 1998, BEF has been a pioneer in helping people and companies become better stewards of the environment. Learn more at www.b-e-f.org.