NEW YORK, N.Y. — The New York City Department of Education and the New York City School Construction Authority has announced the publication of the NYC Green Schools Guide and Rating System, which will guide the sustainable design, construction, and operation of new schools, modernization projects, and school renovations.

The NYC Green Schools Guide and Rating System will assure compliance with Local Law 86 of 2005, which established sustainability standards for public design and construction projects in New York City. The implementation of the GSG and Rating System makes New York City one of the first and largest school districts in the nation to have sustainability guidelines required by law.

"We're proud to be in the forefront of green school design in an urban environment," said Chancellor Joel I. Klein. "I am confident that these new standards will serve as a model for other urban school districts."

Sustainable school design and operation, as outlined in the GSG and Rating System, will provide many benefits to students, school staff, and the city as a whole. Sustainable schools will conserve energy and water, reduce operating costs, promote a healthy environment, and help teach environmental responsibility.

Prescriptive energy efficiency measures required by the GSG, including high-efficiency building envelope and HVAC systems, will ensure that New York's green schools are designed to save energy costs by at least 20 percent over other regulatory mandates.

Water-conserving plumbing fixtures such as metered faucets, dual-flush toilets, low-flush urinals, and low-flow showers will result in the reduction of potable water usage in each school by more than 40 percent. New efficient classroom lighting fixtures will save energy and provide high-quality illumination. Stringent acoustical standards will ensure that instructional spaces are isolated from sound interference.

The selection of building materials and the manner in which materials are removed from the construction site for proper disposal are based on environmental responsibility and benefit.

The GSG and Rating System was designed to meet the specific sustainability needs of New York City schools in a cost-effective manner, and is based on the LEED Green Building Rating System. The GSG and Rating System includes enhancements beyond LEED based on best practices for schools adopted from the Collaborative for High Performing Schools (CHPS) rating systems developed by the states of California, Washington, Massachusetts, and New York, and also on SCA best practices.

The Green Schools Guide is available for download from GreenerBuildings.com.