Del Mar Elementary
Building Type: Education

Del Mar Elementary School in Morro Bay, CA took an innovative approach to daylighting its classrooms. The school applied for and received a conservation grant to retrofit five classrooms with daylight.The installation of tubular daylighting devices provided significant energy savings for the school, as well as a fun learning experience for students. The project was turned into a hands-on science experiment for the kids to better understand energy conservation.

Objective
The objective was to provide daylight in the classrooms to create a better learning environment, to reduce energy consumption, and to educate students on the benefits of natural light and energy conservation.

Products Used

Solution
Five classrooms, each approximately 928 square feet in size, were retrofitted with six Solatube 21-C units. Prior to the installation, students led by one teacher measured the light levels in the classrooms (with the fluorescent lights on) using a light meter. They took a very scientific approach and took readings on six different days to establish a baseline of data. After the Solatube Daylighting Systems were installed, the teacher and students turned off all electric lights and used the light meter to measure the light levels of only the natural light provided by the Solatube Daylighting Systems. There was an overall sustained light increase of 25%.

Testimonial
“We had 30 of the 21” Solatubes with OptiView Diffusers installed in five of our classrooms. Each one of the grant recipients is thrilled with the quality of the natural light. It’s unbelievable. Even on a cloudy day we still have enough light in the classroom. By 9:30 a.m, I turn all the electric lights off. The students have become very energy conscious. They don’t want the electric lights on and are adamant about turning them off. It’s a complete success story. I wish every classroom could have Solatubes.”

Cindy Vixnt
Del Mar Elementary School
Teacher and Grant Recipient