A Prototype of Net-Zero Energy School for Hot and Dry Climate in Indian Context

Abstract

India is the seventh largest country in the world in terms of area. Being the largest democracy with more than a billion people, 29% of its population falls in the age group of 0–14. The elementary education sector of India is anticipated to be about USD 144 billion by 2020. This paper presents a solution for developing a Net-Zero Energy (NZE) school prototype with the concept of Environment and Building-as-a-Learning Aid (E-BaLA). The design is an integration of the built environment with playscapes, urban farming, water conservation, biodiversity park, E-BaLA elements, and photovoltaic systems. It meets the Living Building Challenge (LBC) standards and the Advanced Energy Design guide for K–12 school buildings with an EUI of 44 kWh/m2/year. It is net positive by 11% and achieves high air quality as well as comfort standards with 189 unmet hours. Classroom spaces use evaporative cooling while most other spaces use VRF systems. The proposed electric lighting has achieved 300 lux with an LPD of 4.5W/m2. Low flow fixtures and root zone treatment are used as water efficiency strategies. Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB) manufactured on site reduce the embodied energy. When compared to a conventional school building, the capital cost is 6.8% higher, and the operating cost is 28% lower with an ROIC of 12.9%.