Commodore John Barry Elementary School
Philadelphia, PA
SVE Group was recently hired to conduct an independent audit of the lighting and HVAC systems for the Commodore John Barry Elementary School in West Philadelphia.
The new Commodore John Barry Elementary School in West Philadelphia accommodates 646 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The 103,000 SF, four-story school is built on the site of the original school in a dense urban residential neighborhood. It is bounded on all four sides by two story brick row homes from the early 1900's. The school was designed and constructed using the LEED for New Construction v2.2 Rating System to promote and quantify the 'green' or sustainable building strategies. The result is a new school that uses less energy and water and provides a healthy environment for the children of this community to learn and play.
The purpose of the survey was to verify that the construction documents were followed at the time of construction and that all equipment and materials were as specified. The audit included extensive survey work and documentation of the Lighting and HVAC systems for the facility owner’s use in achieving Energy Conservation Income Tax Credits. Through the energy certification process, our clients are eligible for significant tax benefits through the 2005 Energy Policy Act, which was recently extended through December 31, 2013.
Commercial building owners and lessees who purchase and install energy-saving products in their businesses can qualify for a tax deduction under EPACT. Buildings must achieve a 50 percent reduction in annual energy costs as compared to a base building defined by the industry standard ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2001, including approved addenda through April 2, 2003.
The deduction may be taken against three energy-using systems:
For systems that qualify, a deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot off the cost of the system is available.
Each of the three energy-using systems is evaluated separately, and is eligible for one-third of the tax deduction if it meets its share of the overall savings goal for the building, a 50 percent reduction in energy costs. In other words, if one system meets the goal of reducing costs by 16-2⁄3 percent but the other two systems do not reduce costs at all, the building owner is entitled to a tax deduction of 60 cents per square foot off the cost of the system. Likewise, the owner is eligible for a deduction of $1.20 per square foot off the cost if two systems qualify, reducing energy costs by 33-1⁄3 percent. When all three systems qualify and total energy costs are reduced by 50 percent, the owner is eligible for the full tax deduction of $1.80 per square foot off the cost.
For updated information about the tax incentives, see www.energy.gov. This web-site also describes other EPACT provisions of interest to businesses, including incentives for distributed generation and hybrid fuel fleet vehicles.
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The new Commodore John Barry Elementary School in West Philadelphia accommodates 646 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The 103,000 SF, four-story school is built on the site of the original school in a dense urban residential neighborhood. It is bounded on all four sides by two story brick row homes from the early 1900's. The school was designed and constructed using the LEED for New Construction v2.2 Rating System to promote and quantify the 'green' or sustainable building strategies. The result is a new school that uses less energy and water and provides a healthy environment for the children of this community to learn and play.
The purpose of the survey was to verify that the construction documents were followed at the time of construction and that all equipment and materials were as specified. The audit included extensive survey work and documentation of the Lighting and HVAC systems for the facility owner’s use in achieving Energy Conservation Income Tax Credits. Through the energy certification process, our clients are eligible for significant tax benefits through the 2005 Energy Policy Act, which was recently extended through December 31, 2013.
Commercial building owners and lessees who purchase and install energy-saving products in their businesses can qualify for a tax deduction under EPACT. Buildings must achieve a 50 percent reduction in annual energy costs as compared to a base building defined by the industry standard ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2001, including approved addenda through April 2, 2003.
The deduction may be taken against three energy-using systems:
- Heating/cooling and water heating systems
- Building envelope
- Lighting system
For systems that qualify, a deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot off the cost of the system is available.
Each of the three energy-using systems is evaluated separately, and is eligible for one-third of the tax deduction if it meets its share of the overall savings goal for the building, a 50 percent reduction in energy costs. In other words, if one system meets the goal of reducing costs by 16-2⁄3 percent but the other two systems do not reduce costs at all, the building owner is entitled to a tax deduction of 60 cents per square foot off the cost of the system. Likewise, the owner is eligible for a deduction of $1.20 per square foot off the cost if two systems qualify, reducing energy costs by 33-1⁄3 percent. When all three systems qualify and total energy costs are reduced by 50 percent, the owner is eligible for the full tax deduction of $1.80 per square foot off the cost.
For updated information about the tax incentives, see www.energy.gov. This web-site also describes other EPACT provisions of interest to businesses, including incentives for distributed generation and hybrid fuel fleet vehicles.
Return to Fetured Projects page