What building material delivers high energy performance, great style, cost effectiveness and durability in school construction today? If you answered insulated metal panels, go to the head of the class.
All these properties and more make insulated metal panels an ideal building material for an increasing number of new school construction and retrofit projects.
With many school buildings in the nation nearing or surpassing the half century mark, it’s not surprising that construction activity in this sector is on the rise. Dodge Construction Network data showed that education building construction starts reached $82.5 billion in 2023 and are projected to reach $86.0 billion in 2024, a 4% increase.
As more and more school construction projects come online, let’s take a closer look at some of the features of insulated metal panels that make them top of the class for school construction projects today.
Building materials that deliver high energy performance are important for schools, considering that the nation’s over 100,000 public K-12 schools represent 9% of commercial building energy consumption and spend nearly $8 billion annually on energy costs, the second largest expense after teacher salaries.
Insulated metal panels combine exceptional R-values with low thermal bridging and excellent airtightness. These high performing panels can help reduce energy consumption given their high thermal efficiency. They also help to increase building occupant comfort and maintain interior climate control by slowing heat loss and gain.
With greenhouse gas emissions eroding the health of our planet, sustainable building practices are imperative for building projects in every sector including school construction.
Using insulated metal panels in school design helps to reduce energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, and help this sector advance on the path to net zero.
With insulation that meets energy efficiency code requirements, these carbon footprint reducing panels can also help school building projects earn points toward LEED certification in the U.S. Green Building Council’s green building rating system.
Today, schools are being designed to reflect their unique identity and inspire learning. Insulated metal panels play a role in creating unique and inspiring designs. With both vertical and horizontal applications and available in a wide range of finishes, colors and textures, the sky’s the limit when it comes to using these panels in creative building design. This makes them a strong choice for creating the right aesthetic for school construction projects.
Cost savings are another benefit of using insulated metal panels in school construction projects, which are often on tight construction budgets.
A lightweight, single component wall system, insulated metal panels are simple and efficient to install. This ease of installation means construction projects get dried in faster, allowing other trades to move forward with interior work, which helps minimize costly construction delays.
One study found that the installed costs of insulated metal panel wall systems were on average 25% lower in the United States compared to insulated precast and tilt-up concrete walls.
Public buildings like schools experience a lot of wear and tear. These buildings need durable construction materials that can stand the test of time and students.
Made of durable steel designed to last for decades and easy to keep clean, insulated metal panels are the ideal building material for schools. These panels require little maintenance and remain both air and weather tight, providing consistent high thermal performance over the life of the building.
These are just a few of the many reasons insulated metal panels are top of the class for school construction.