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FAYETTEVILLE— A recently built school in Cumberland County is going Green.

Architects for New Century Elementary school said the building has earned a 99 Energy Star rating for energy efficiency. One of the goals for designers was to build an environmentally friendly school while still meeting the needs of teachers.

Felix Keyes, principal of the new school, said that the new school should hopefully make a positive impact on the students to become conscientious members of society.

"We are all responsible for the world we live in and we have to help get our kids ready to be responsible." said Keyes.

The $1.5 million investment in green technology is expected to save an estimated $75,000 a year—a 50-percent decrease in consumption when compared to similar schools. Heavy insulation, use of natural lighting, and lights that turn themselves off are just the beginning when it comes to environmentally friendly technology.

One of the major new green technologies is stored in a building behind the school. It contains a pump house that is the heart of the school's air conditioning and heating system. Buried in the ground behind the school are wells and pipes where the water stays a constant temperature. The water is circulated into the upper levels of the school where it exchanges heat with the air. The system is efficient to the extent that the school doesn't need a traditional air conditioning and heating system.

Once new solar panels are installed by next summer, the school will actually produce electricity instead of consuming it. Teachers are not letting the opportunity go to waste and will use the new technologies as a learning tool.

"You learn by doing and seeing it first hand is the best way to help our students see that," said Keyes.

In the process of learning, students will be shaped into the leaders of a greener future.