New Hampshire
Citation: N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 198:15-b (2005 N.H. House Bill 129); N.H. Code Admin. R. Ann. Ed. 321.32
Effective: September 2005
Available: Law, Regulations
This law provides a financial incentive for school districts to incorporate high performance school design guidance in their new construction projects. To be eligible, a school project (as built) must meet the “criteria for designation as a high performance school under the most recent edition of the New England version of the standards from the Collaborative for High Performance Schools.” The state uses the Northeast Collaborative for High Performance Schools Protocol as the standard for earning the incentive. The Northeast-CHPS protocol is based on the original California CHPS, but is tailored “to the climate zones and school construction needs of the states in the Northeast....” A 2009 memo from the Department of Education specifies NE-CHPS, Version 2.0, with certain state modifications, as the standard for the incentive program. New Hampshire’s modifications to NE-CHPS include increasing the minimum number of optional credits obtained, as well as requiring certain IAQ-related credits such as compliance with ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004 and installation of ducted air returns.
Under the law, an eligible school district may receive additional state grant funding equal to 3% of the total construction costs. In any given fiscal year, the state may make awards totaling $100,000. According to state officials, once a project starts receiving the incentive funding, it will receive that amount until its bond is retired, typically about 20 years. In addition, the law directs the department to coordinate with the state public utilities commission to ensure that eligible school districts have submitted applications for funding reimbursement and technical assistance that may be available from energy utilities to promote indoor air quality and energy efficiency.
Regulations promulgated by the state Department of Education provide procedures for school districts to follow in applying for and receiving the 3% funding incentive. The regulations also note that if applicable school construction project funds requested in a particular year exceed the statutory limit of $100,000, the incentive funding is allocated to the highest-scoring projects based on the NE-CHPS criteria.
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