Reducing Energy Use on school sites.

Schools account for 25% of energy used in publicly owned buildings in the UK.  A typical primary school of 120 pupils spends around £8000 on electricity and £7000 on gas for heating.

Operation Energy 2011 - 2012

Eco Centre Wales is working in partnership with two local authorities Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion on projects to reduce energy consumption in primary schools.  Both projects are done under the title “Operation Energy”, both focus primarily on achieving savings through behaviour change of the building’s users.

The overall approach in both counties is the same.  Pupils aged 9-11 years old with support perform an energy audit for their school.  Using a digital monitor the pupils record the school’s base line electricity use.  Pupils then devise a behaviour change campaign.  They are made aware of a number of effective behaviour change techniques.  The children then monitor to see if electricity use within the school is reduced as a result of their campaign.  Pupils then evaluate their work.  In addition in some schools pupils also prepare a presentation for the schools governing body on how the buildings’ energy efficiency can be improved.  Students are encouraged to use data to support their arguments for this.

Pembrokeshire Background

Pembrokeshire County Council is the local authority for Pembrokeshire (population 100,000).  It has responsibility for maintaining 72 primary school sites and 8 secondary school sites.  The oldest school buildings in the county are pre 1900.  These are typically small rural village schools, though in some cases they form part of larger sites which have been extended over time.  The county has a small number of new school buildings which are constructed to the BREEAM excellent standard.

Implementation in Pembrokeshire

• Three schools are identified to work in an initial meeting between Pembrokeshire County Council’s Energy Manager, Sustainable Schools Officer and Eco Centre Wales’
• Sustainable School’s Officer writes to the head teachers of each school inviting them to participate in the project.  All schools agreed.
• The Sustainable Schools Officer (who acts as an advisory teacher for the council) then meets with the head and the class teacher to explain the aims and objectives of the project.
• Eco Centre Wales’ education officer then spends a day in school working with the pupils.

1. Introduction to the energy diary, activities looking at why it is important to save energy.
2. Workshop looking at electricity, including using a generator bike to interpret what the readings on a “plug in” meter for electrical items in the classroom.
3. Walk round energy audit  with pupils of the school building
4. Pupils split into groups and assigned an area of the school to complete an in depth audit

• Pupils prepare a slide show on energy efficiency in their area of school and take baseline reading for energy use in school.
• Eco Centre Wales’ education officer returns to school when pupils’ slideshows are complete.

1. Pupils give their presentations.
2. Workshop on behaviour change techniques.
3. Plan of action is drawn up.

• Eco Centre Wales officer then passes pupils presentations onto the energy manager.  They discuss any obstacles to implementation of energy saving measure identified and clarifies financing of particular measures.
• School implements behaviour change techniques, pupils monitor to see if there are any improvements.
• Eco Centre Wales Officer visits schools for debriefing with pupils, collection of data and quotes for press release.
• Press release prepared by Eco Centre Wales and sent out.

Ceredigion

Ymbarel Newsletter with Operation Energy report - English and Welsh

Ceredigion County Council is the local authority for Ceredigion.  Ceredigion (population 76,000) is a mostly rural county with a low population density.  It is responsible for 60 primary schools and 7 secondary schools.  The oldest school buildings in the county are pre 1900.  These are typically small rural village schools, though in some cases they form part of larger sites which have been extended over time.  Ceredigion has a number of very small schools and is currently looking to close these and replace them with schools serving a wider area.  Closure of small schools is a sensitive issue in rural Wales.

Implementation in Ceredigion

• Four schools were identified to work with by the Ceredigion Advisory Teacher responsible for Eco Schools and Ceredigion County Council Energy Officer.
• Aberystwyth schools were chosen as their long term future is secure
• Eco Centre Wales’ education officer then spends 1/2 day in school with advisory teacher, and Energy Officer working with the pupils.

1. Workshop looking at electricity, including using a generator bike to interpret what the readings on a “plug in” meter for electrical items in the classroom.
2. Lighting load for whole school measured.
3. Discussion of behaviour change techniques.

• Pupils take baseline reading for energy use in school.
• Schools will prepare a presentation on how they’ve saved energy to be shared at an event in February.  Ceredigion County Council will give awards for energy saving.  It has not been finalised how this will work yet.

Notes

Programme has started well in both counties with staff and students enthusiastic to save energy.  All four Ceredigion schools have had their workshops.  One Pembrokeshire school has started the project and a further two will commence next term.

Initial Observations

1. All the schools had significant loads due to lighting (around 15 kW in total)
2. The voltage on site was variable and on some of the schools sites very high (252 + Volts).  Voltage optimisation could potentially generate big savings on these sites and warrants further investigation.
3. Some of the sites still had large numbers of old fluorescent lights .
4. Metering in some of the schools continues to be a problem, on some sites it is too complex, one site the meter was also covering a community centre (local authority owned but not under school management) with no sub meter.

Building maintenance is affecting energy efficiency on some of the sites.