LEED & CHPS

For educational facility design, the two leading rating systems are the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) and LEED for Schools. Both systems provide outstanding guidance for today’s designer interested in developing healthy, high-performance schools. Finelite’s ICLS follows these guidelines to achieve your design goals and help students succeed.

Points System

ICLS acheives maximum LEED & CHPS points. Since every project is unique, Finelite’s design team is available to lay out projects to meet your design objectives.

Energy Performance

CHPS and LEED for Schools base energy performance points on the amount of energy saved for the entire school. A 36% reduction of energy (as compared to Title 24) yields 13 points under the CHPS system. A 42% reduction in energy consumption (compared to ASHRAE 90.1 – 2004) yields 10 points under the LEED for Schools system. A recently completed research project conducted for the New York Energy Research and Development Authority demonstrates ICLS easily reduces energy consumption 48% in the classroom when compared to ASHRAE 90.1 2004 (40% as compared to Title 24 2006), which takes the design a long way toward accomplishing the total school energy reduction goals.

Effective Classroom Lighting Design

Want to achieve CHPS and LEED high-performance standards for classroom lighting design?
Finelite can help you meet your goals.

Fixture Selection

CHPS EQ1.3.1
Provide multi-scene indirect/direct lighting systems for all classrooms, with the exception
of chemistry laboratories, art rooms, shops, music rooms, and dance/exercise rooms.

Two Lighting Modes

CHPS – EQ1.3.2
“The lighting system shall operate in two modes: general illumination and A/V.”

LEED For Schools – EQ Credit 6.1
“Provide a classroom lighting system that operates in two modes:
General Illumination and A/V.”

General Mode Lighting Requirements

CHPS EQ1.3.4 & LEED for Schools EQ Credit 6.1
“In General Illumination Mode, achieve an average illumination at the desk level of 35 to 50 footcandles with a minimum of 25 footcandles at any point more than 3 ft from any wall.”

Take advantage of Finelite’s free design services to ensure you meet CHPS and LEED requirements.

A/V Mode Requirements

CHPS EQ1.3.5 & LEED for Schools EQ Credit 6.1
“In A/V Mode, not including contribution from the teaching wall from the teaching wall light, achieve an average illumination at the desk level of between 10 and 20 footcandles for any point in the room greater than 3ft from the side walls, 10ft form the front wall and 6ft from the back wall, while limiting vertical illumination on the projection screen to no more than 7 footcandles at any point on the screen.”

Finelite offers free design services to ensure you meet this requirement.

Whiteboard Illumination Requirements

CHPS EQ1.3.3 &
“Provide a separately switched lighting system for the teaching wall that provides white board vertical illumination of at least 30 footcandles average with a maximum uniformity of 8:1 or better.”