GREENFIELD — When it comes to the energy-efficient future of Greenfield High School, the plans are still in the works.
“There is no doubt that this is going to be a very ‘green’ building,” said lead architect Lee Dore at a recent meeting of the Greenfield School Building Committee.
Since the early days of the project, the committee has been exploring ways to make the building more efficient, including studying if a geothermal heating system was plausible. However, it appears that the building is too large for a geothermal system to be economical, and geological features beneath the surface would likely make it difficult to drill the necessary wells deep enough.
“We have had conversations about the larger issues in planning and what might be palatable for price and efficiency,” said Mayor William Martin, who sits on the committee, “and we have not turned down anything but geothermal.”
The current design features an array of solar panels, a green roof and ample natural lighting.