Wyoming School Meets LEED Standards

A new elementary school in Greybull, Wyoming, will be the only one in the state built according to LEED standards, the Casper Star Tribune reports.

The district secured a $140,000 grant from the Wyoming Business Council’s State Energy Office to assist with the documentation costs involved in achieving LEED certification. The school is designed for a silver rating. the project’s architect is from Plan One.

Bringing natural light into the building to cut down on lighting costs is a key feature, and the school will include numerous skylights and windows, as well as site orientation designed to naturally light at least 85 percent of the rooms.

Extra insulation in the walls and roof are another feature, along with high-performance windows and skylights. A ground-source heat pump will cut heating costs.

The process also requires using local building materials whenever possible and restricts the use of carpets, glues or other components.

The 36,000-square-foot school’s construction budget is around $9 million. Conventional construction costs for a school like Gerybull’s might run $215 to $225 per square foot, according to the article.