Things have been pretty cut and dry as we have moved through the LEED process thus far.   We have, however, come up against a challenge with our lighting needs.  The LEED for Schools requirements seem to be designed for a traditional classroom setting where all desks are facing the same direction with one wall serving as the surface for the white board.  There are audio/visual lighting mode requirements that require two different levels of lighting so that the room can be dimmed so as to watch a movie or projector display.  There are specific foot candle requirements that need to be achieved while making sure that we don’t exceed the energy specs.

Unfortunately, what is not accounted for is a Montessori classroom environment.  We don’t need to have one wall that is brighter than others.  We won’t rely just on the ceiling lights since we will be incorporating floor lamps, table lamps etc. for a more home-like feel.  We are fortunate to be working with Henry’s Electric who is working diligently with their lighting supplier to both meet the LEED requirements while working to meet the needs of our classroom.  With their help, we have just about finalized our lighting plan that both meets LEED requirements and also creates a practical solution for our classrooms.