American Canyon High School - December 2011 aerial

*Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)

“Through the great partnership with Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD) and QKA, this system will provide long term financial savings and hands-on learning for the students about the positive impact of solar power,” said Chris Robine, CEO and President of SPG Solar.

The over 4,000 American-made solar panels, mounted on the school’s roof and on a fixed-tilt ground mount system, will produce over 1.1 million kilowatt hours annually, equivalent to providing power to over 105 average American homes annually.

American Canyon High School has been certified by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) – a green building rating system for K-12 school, similar to LEED for Schools. American Canyon High School is the highest ranking CHPS verified school in California.

“The new solar power system at American Canyon High School is an excellent example of NVUSD’s leadership. By building upon the sustainable design of their campus and showing their commitment to the environment the District will save a significant amount of money that can now be used for educational purposes,” said Aaron Jobson, Principal at Quattrocchi Kwok Architects.

At the ribbon cutting celebration Wednesday November 16th, Bill Orr, Executive Director of CHPS was on hand to present the CHPS verified plaque to Principal Mark Brewer and Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sweeney. In honor of this green building certification, Melissa Rodezno, an aide to Congressman Mike Thompson, presented the District with a Congressional Recognition certificate.

American Canyon High School, American Canyon, CA

“The kids may be out of the classroom for the summer, but school design is definitely in session. Lydia Lee studies how public and private schools are investing in ultra high-performance buildings that provide better learning environments and teach by example.”

Join your local chapter of the US Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architects in celebrating the green design, engineering and community asset that is American Canyon High School.

This Napa County High School opened its doors in Fall of 2010 to welcome students and community to an ultra-sustainable and energy efficient campus. The campus achieved Gold certification in the US Green Building’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program.

The project boasts a 1MW photovoltaic station that provides about 85% of the electricity needed for the campus and a ground source heat pump that uses the earth’s temperature to help heat and cool buildings.

Did you know that the average school is 42 years old, and energy inefficiencies cost it approximately $100,000 a year? Come hear from Aaron Jobson of Santa Rosa’s Quattrocchi Kwok Architects and Costa Engineer’s Chris DelCore, plus others directly involved in this top project as they share how the building and design increased efficiencies, while creating a sense of community, supported career-driven education, and improved public access to amenities on the campus.

Sign up today!

June, 2010
Over 1,000 people were in attendance! It was very moving to hear the speeches but best of all were the comments and awestruck looks from parents and students as they walked around the campus. Can’t wait to post final photography to our website in September and give everyone a closer look at this amazing campus.

“For years, Napa Valley Unified School District has been active in establishing programs and obtaining equipment to save energy and lessen the carbon footprint of its operations. The construction of American Canyon High School brings the latest technologies and green operating features together, at one site. [By] incorporating green efforts into the learning environment of a high school rich with technological amenities from which students will participate and witness our changing world, is a very positive educational experience.” – Don Evans, Napa Valley Unified School District.

“Upon setting foot on the American Canyon High School campus, students and staff will immediately know their community’s commitment to them and to their school. ACHS has been designed to be a learning environment that is healthy and productive, as well as resource-efficient and community-oriented. It is truly a model high performance school. Napa Valley Unified showed an early commitment to ‘green’ by being the first to go through the CHPS Verified design review in California. We will be lucky to count such an impressive project among the list of CHPS Verified schools.” – Bill Orr, Executive Director, Collaborative for High Performance Schools.

Wednesday, May 26 / 9 AM to 4 PM
Pacific Energy Center in San Francisco
Funding for this free training is generously provided by Pacific Gas and Electric

High Performance Schools: A CHPS Update (9 AM to noon)
Discover the benefits of safe, healthy, energy-efficient facilities that provide the amenities for a quality education. Participants will learn about the updated 2009 edition of the CA-CHPS Criteria, the CHPS implementation roadmap, and new resources available through the CHPS program. In particular, participants will learn how to apply CA-CHPS to major modernizations with plenty of examples of what can be done from real school projects. Aaron Jobson of Quattrochi Kwok Architects will also provide a case study of American Canyon High School, one of the first schools approved under the CHPS Verified program. In addition, funding opportunities including Prop 1D, Savings By Design, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will be discussed.

If you recently received a copy of the North Bay Business Journal’s Book of Lists, check out page 61–American Canyon High School is ranked by value as the #1 construction project in Sonoma, Napa, Marin and Solano counties. This progress shot was taken December 2009.