By Chris
Superintendent Tim Mills announced last week that the new Chipeta Elementary School, which opens next fall, will be the prototype of energy efficiency. This is great news, because it means that schools built in Mesa County will be more "green," unlike the Fruita 8/9 (which we are trying to improve).
The new school will have lights operated by motion, waterless urinals and many windows. Ten percent of Chipeta will be built of recycled materials, including all of the steel pipes. It will also have multiple levels of lighting, some use of wind energy and will be painted using low-emitting paints. Students will be able to see what happens behind the scenes in the course of keeping a sustainable energy building. Choice parking spots will be built for alternative-fuel vehicles, along with an additional bike rack for the teachers. A shower will be available for teachers who wish to jog or bike, too.
The overall building costs will be about three percent more than a similar building, but the school will save an estimated thirty percent per year in electricity and water usage. Xcel Energy has said that they will incorporate designs used for Chipeta along other energy efficient technologies while building new schools in the district.
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