Erie High Charter School - Erie USD 101

The Erie High Charter School demonstrates significant leadership in becoming Kansas’s first LEED Gold certified school in the state. Henderson Engineers designed the building systems for the new construction of this high school, vocational building, and athletic complex.

The building's envelope and systems were designed to reduce overall energy usage to 50% below a conventional building built to ASHRAE 90.1 standards. Chief among energy saving strategies was the ground source heat pump system with a vertical well field, which was coupled with dedicated outside air equipment using energy wheels. The design makes use of as much site-recovered energy as possible. For example, low-grade heat generated by the kitchen is reclaimed by a heat pump that warms incoming outside air during winter conditions. Additionally, the building’s automation control system reports information that every student can monitor so as to use the building as a teaching tool. Key components of the project include classrooms, gymnasiums, kitchen, office spaces, theater, commons area, fine arts spaces, and vocational building.

Green schools reduce energy consumption, save money, and foster healthier learning environments. Erie High Charter School's commitment to "going green" by using its environmentally friendly school as a teaching tool for students creates a generation focused on innovative solutions.