Chapel Hill Head Start Center

In April 2018, Crittenden County was struck by tornados and flooding that significantly damaged the mobile units of the Audubon Area Head Start Center—one of the only early childhood education facilities serving the surrounding Western Kentucky community. Recognizing the urgent need for a replacement facility, Audubon Area Community Services (AACS) secured over $7M in disaster relief funds to construct a new building. Opening in 2022, the new 17,110 SF, zero energy/zero carbon Chapel Hill Head Start Center significantly increases AACS’s capacity and provides a resilient, cost-effective facility that will serve the community for years to come.

To achieve net zero energy while remaining within budget, CMTA implemented a cost-effective renewable energy solution through a geothermal water source heat pump HVAC system. The design also maximized south-facing glazing, utilizing building overhangs for shading, and employed a single-sloping roof to optimize PV production. Due to these high-performance design strategies, the building operates at an impressive 10.9 EUI—an 82% reduction from a baseline building.

Additionally, the building’s 90 kW PV system offsets approximately 28 EUI of energy use annually, suggesting that the facility is not only achieving net zero energy but is also generating a 17 EUI energy surplus. This surplus is a valuable resource for AACS, offering additional flexibility to accommodate a potential future zero energy/zero carbon expansion and allowing the owner to offset carbon from their other 250+ facilities.

As a result of the building’s zero-energy design, coupled with its solar energy system, the facility annually avoids approximately 153.2 Metric Tons of CO2e, contributing significantly to the community’s environmental sustainability. This emissions reduction is equivalent to taking 16 gasoline-powered vehicles off the road for a year, essentially offsetting the annual carbon emissions of Chapel Hill staff’s automobiles.

The design also prioritized occupant health and wellness. Acknowledging the unique needs of a preschool facility, the team decided to forego demand-controlled ventilation, opting instead for a system that maximizes exhaust and outside air. This was accomplished by employing a single constant air volume ventilation system that operates continuously throughout the day, effectively mitigating odors and airborne pathogens common in preschool settings. All ventilation air for the facility was integrated into the geothermal system, optimizing the system’s efficiency and efficacy.