Liberty Elementary Installs Solar Gard Armorcoat® Film and Sets the Standard for Schools!

“The price of installing the film was far less than it would cost to replace all the windows [at Liberty Elementary]. Cost avoidance on our utilities has been between 10 to 15 percent each month. To save money for the school system and to provide such a strong safety measure as well — those benefits alone make the film invaluable.” ~Mark McKibben, head of maintenance for the school system

In today’s school systems, there are two issues that administrators must constantly contend with: students’ safety and operating costs. Kenneth Payne, the school superintendent for Duneland School corporation of Porter County, Indiana, addressed both issues with the Liberty Elementary School building, in hopes of determining a solution that could benefit all schools in his district.

Through its single-pane windows, Liberty was losing significant heat in the winter and had excessive solar heat gain in the warmer months. Administrators were also very concerned about building safety and protecting the students, in light of the numerous bomb threats and violence that schools around the nation were experiencing.
Additionally, they wanted to make sure computer equipment they had recently purchased was as secure as possible.

A total of 2,349 square feet (218 square meters) of Solar Gard Armorcoat 4 Mil Solar Bronze 35 was installed. This advanced film combines cost-reducing energy control with outstanding safety and security features.

The installation produced immediate results. By rejecting 70 percent of total solar energy, the film brought the school’s energy consumption down over 12 percent. Just as important, the steps taken to ensure the safety of students earned Liberty Elementary the Safety Award from the Protecting People First Foundation — making it the first school in the nation to receive the commendation.

Only weeks after installation, an attempt was made to smash through one of the windows. Although completely shattered, the film held all the glass securely in place. The impressive results from the installation of Solar Gard film have led the school system to plan a phased installation of the film in all of its schools.

Comments