The Building Electrification Technology Roadmap (BETR) for Schools provides high-level guidance for schools and districts that may be considering system and equipment upgrades in educational facilities. BETR for Schools summarizes a comprehensive set of electrification technologies that can replace traditional fuel-fired equipment (such as such as HVAC and water heating that are typically natural gas or propane fired). Electrifying school buildings not only presents an opportunity to stabilize operating costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions, but also improves the health, wellness, and resilience of entire school communities.

BETR for Schools covers relative cost analysis for replacing commonly used equipment in schools whether it’s part of an emergency replacement, lifecycle replacement or planned upgrade or renovation. For each of these scenarios, the report team studied installation challenges, assessed maintenance difficulty, evaluated the upfront and operational costs associated with the replacement technology, as well as the indoor air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. Specific electric replacement technologies are also compared to baseline equipment, to provide the closest like-for-like replacement scenario. To illustrate tradeoffs when considering electrification retrofits, several example scenarios have been provided to “spotlight” specific building types, existing systems, and life cycle events. While every project is unique, the BETR for Schools guide offers a framework for the most common electrification opportunities for schools and districts to consider.

Additional Resources

On-Demand Webinar – Watch a recording of the presentation and Q&A session from a live webinar Nov. 30 sharing highlights from the BETR for Schools report.

Interactive Cost Explorer Dashboard – Explore estimated costs for electrification projects in schools across various building types and project scenarios.

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