The new Hunnewell Elementary School is a sustainable, high-performance building that optimizes the comfort, health, and beauty of the school environment to support students, teachers, and staff. The all-electric, net zero ready school helps meet Wellesley’s town-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The new Hunnewell School design energy use intensity of 27 KBTU per square foot per year is five times more energy efficient than the previous school building. Plans are underway for Wellesley Municipal Light Plant (WMLP) to install solar panels on the roof to further enhance the new building’s sustainability.
Hunnewell School sustainability features include:
- High performance building enclosure, insulation, and air-tightness.
- Efficient, all-electric heat pump ventilation, heating, and cooling.
- Dedicated room by room air quality and comfort control.
- Efficient use of daylight and LED lighting systems.
- Natural, sustainable, low-emitting materials.
- Solar panel-ready, reflective roof.
- Electric vehicle charging stations and bicycle racks.
- Designated recycling separation and collection areas.
- Green cleaning and housekeeping program.
- Outdoor learning classrooms.
- Water conservation through low-flow fixtures and drought resistant plants.
- Expected certifiability to LEED Silver standard.
This impressive and inspiring building is a credit to the School Committee, School Building Committee and Permanent Building Committee who worked collaboratively across Town departments to provide a net zero building design to fit our New England climate. The School Committee encouraged and fully incorporated recommendations from the Climate Action Committee (CAC, formerly Sustainable Energy Committee). The CAC worked with the Facilities Management Department to codify these recommendations into the Town’s Municipal Sustainable Building Guidelines. The Guidelines also informed the design of the new Hardy Elementary School and plans for the all-electric renovation of Wellesley’s historic Town Hall.
The Hunnewell School is an exemplar for future municipal, commercial, and institutional buildings and for residential climate action.
Commercial and institutional property owners are invited to participate in the Town’s Building Energy Roundtable. Contact ClimateAction@wellesleyma.gov for more information.
Are you a Wellesley resident interested in creating a healthier, more comfortable, sustainable home that reduces your greenhouse gas emissions? The Town’s Energy Coaches are here to help you! Read more at this link. As homeowners replace old furnaces and appliances or add air conditioning, they have a great opportunity to improve energy efficiency, electrify their homes, and power with renewable energy. Substantial tax credits and rebates are available.
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