Eastern Greene Schools is home to Indiana’s first LEED-registered high school facility. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is the national standard for developing high performance, sustainable buildings. These high performance buildings are typically no more expensive to build, yet provide optimal efficiency, comfort, and overall durability, and are less expensive to operate and maintain.

One innovative component within this school is the Geothermal system. Geothermal unlike traditional furnaces that burn fuels for heat and require separate air conditioning or chiller systems, this Geothermal system transfers heat from one place to another using a simple process that taps the earth’s inexhaustible supply of renewable thermal energy, under ground. In winter, Geothermal systems bring the earth’s natural warmth up to a building and then transfer it into each room via a heat recovery chiller. In summer, they work in reverse to provide air conditioning, absorbing the heat from inside the building and transferring it to the cooler earth below. This compact system creates an exceptionally comfortable learning environment by giving educators precise temperature control, room by room. This Geothermal system will average 20 - 40% greater efficiencies.

Other efficient systems include the solar water heating unit, which captures and heats all water for the new school, a white roof system that reflects the sun’s rays to keep the building cooler, and autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC), a well-insulated, fire-proofed, acoustically superior and environmentally-friendly exterior structure.