A school in Denmark is clad in 12,000 solar panels

A newly built school in Copenhagen, Denmark has incorporated 10 solar panels for each student it can accommodate.

The C.F. Møller-designed CIS Nordhavn is clad with 12,000 solar panels that will produce at least half of the school’s annual electricity consumption, a total that is equivalent to about 70 detached houses. The myriad panels will also be used as part of the school’s academic strategy. Students will be able to follow the energy production and utilize the gathered data in subjects such as physics and mathematics.

A close-up of some of the solar panels used in teh school's construction. Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.

Four smaller sub-schools, separated in relation to the age of the students who will occupy them, divide the large building. The classrooms for the youngest students are the largest in the school because all of the functions — such as outdoor areas, areas for drama and theater facilities, and spaces for activities and exercise — are gathered in and around the classroom.

Each of the four sub-schools sit atop a shared base, which houses common areas like the foyer, sports facilities, cafeteria, library, and drama facilities. The separate area for the classrooms allows them to be closed after school hours while the base can remain open.

An interior common space at CIS Nordhavn Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.

Part of the base is also used as a communal roof terrace that acts as the schoolyard for the students. Because the school sits on the waterfront, the schoolyard has been raised to the top of the shared base to prevent students from wandering too far from the school or too close to the water.

The rooftop terrace/schoolyard for the students at CIS Nordhavn Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.

In total, the school encompasses 26,000 sm of space and can accommodate 1,200 students.

A gym space at CIS Nordhavn Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.

Recipient schools and regions from across the nation - from K-12 to higher education - were recognized for a variety of sustainable, cost-cutting measures, including energy conservation, record numbers of LEED certified buildings and collaborative platforms and policies to green U.S. school infrastructure.

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