In recent weeks, a dangerous heat wave has impacted large portions of the U.S. across the Midwest and Northeast, with more than 100 million people in 27 states put under heat warnings. Heat waves are increasingly common in recent years. In 2023, the country experienced the most prolonged hot weather events since 1936. According to a recent study, this is the new normal. Human-caused climate change is making heat waves more common and causing them to last longer, the study found.
Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of heat waves, and the heat of recent weeks has ignited a serious conversation about the way extreme temperatures impact classrooms and the children who are supposed to learn in them. With many schools still in session in June, some school districts have gone so far as to cancel classes or end the school year early to protect children from having to endure the sweltering heat.
New York state recently passed a bill that would mean schools would not be allowed to send students into classrooms that reach 88 degrees or hotter. The aim of the bill is to protect students' health, as baking in a hot room is particularly bad for the young. Plus, high temperatures make it harder for students to learn and perform academically. One study found that on 90-degree days, students who took exams were 11% more likely to fail than on a 72-degree day.
Unfortunately, classrooms with high temperatures are all too common, not just in New York but across the country. Some rooms may lack air conditioning altogether, while many schools are simply dealing with outdated or inefficient air conditioning systems that are unable to bear the load of increased cooling needs. That means even when units are running at full blast, they may not make enough of an impact on classroom comfort. Plus, when outdated units need to be used constantly during extreme weather, they are much more likely to break, causing discomfort and a need for costly repairs.
Heatwaves like the ones occurring across the U.S. also pose a bigger threat: they strain the energy grid. When temperatures get high, air conditioning is no longer a luxury, but a survival necessity. As millions of homes, businesses, and schools run their HVAC systems to maintain a livable atmosphere—all at the same time, especially during peak sun hours—there is an incredibly high level of demand for energy to power all these machines. Often, the energy infrastructure isn’t built to accommodate this high demand. That is when dangerous blackouts occur, with electricity unavailable to large geographic areas. Even when blackouts are avoided, there are often also spikes in energy costs to manage the demand.
These increasing extreme events really drive home the need for sustainability for schools. While classrooms hold millions of young students for hours a day, high efficiency HVACs can work more powerfully to create an environment where children are safe and can thrive academically. These modern sustainable technologies can also accomplish this without contributing high levels of emissions that exacerbate climate change and contribute to the frequency of heat waves.
Schools can also benefit from the adoption of renewables, where they can generate their own supply of clean energy and become less reliant on the grid. With solar panels and battery storage, schools could be able to keep the lights on (and the ACs) even when demand for energy is dangerously high.
Bills proposed like the one in New York can hopefully pressure the government to invest in better air conditioning for classrooms. But they should also ensure that any air conditioning additions are sustainable, with energy efficiency that will enhance their longevity and lower energy usage that doesn’t increase schools’ utility costs—and doesn’t harm the planet. That way we can protect our students now and long into the future.
Budderfly helps education institutions and businesses across the U.S. access energy saving technology and equipment like high efficiency HVACs and solar panels with no upfront costs. To learn more about how we can help schools become sustainable, contact us today.