A Modern-Day Learning Environment: Burlington High School
For the past several years, students and staff at Burlington High School and Technical Center have been in a temporary home. When contaminants were found in the old school building, it was determined that the school needed to be shuttered and a new, temporary location found. Longer term, however, a new school would need to be built.
Fast forward to today, and the new high school and technical center is well underway, and students are expected to start attending there next school year. We are so excited to play our part in this transformational project!
With the opportunity to dream big, the Burlington School District leaned into its values, including the desire to give students and faculty a clean, green learning environment. All of the school’s choices, from the design of the building to the materials used to build it- including the nearly 400 solar panels on the roof- will work toward their goal of Gold LEED Certification, designating that BHS is a green building. Some of our favorite green features (besides solar of course) include the use of native plants in the landscaping, a multi-million dollar stormwater treatment system with an outdoor classroom incorporated, and EV chargers and bike parking to encourage green commuting options.
BHS’ panels will generate roughly 243,000 kWh of clean energy from the sun each year! That should power approximately 10-15% of the school’s energy needs.
It’s also important to note that the school district’s investment in clean energy will pay off financially, paying for itself in less than 9 years.
“We are thrilled to be working with SunCommon to help us reach our LEED goals for this building,” said Tom Flanagan, BSD Superintendent. “We heard clearly from students, staff, and families that a connection to the outdoors was essential to incorporate into our new building. This solar project goes a step above and shows our community that we are not only connecting to nature through natural light, courtyards, and outdoor classrooms, but we are also doing our part to protect and preserve the environment. Thank you, SunCommon, for helping us live out our values!”