It is important to ensure you have done as much as you can to reduce your general energy consumption before installing your solar energy system. This does not mean compromising the comfort of staff and pupils but making the most of the energy that is used in school.
Implementing a few simple measures can help to reduce the amount of energy you use. This could release additional funds for other activities such as student trips or additional curricular resources, and ensure that any electricity generated by a solar panel goes further.
There are also social and environmental advantages to reducing your energy consumption, such as preserving fossil fuels and minimising Global Climate Change. Using your school’s energy use, and encouraging participation from all schools users in reducing use can offer great educational benefits, link to curricular objectives and encourage a sense of stewardship and global citizenship amongst young people.
But everyone benefits as controlling your school’s energy use can also improve comfort for staff and pupils - and comfortable pupils will be more attentive, making learning more enjoyable for everyone.
Energy consumption in schools can vary depending on a building’s age and state of repair, occupancy hours and the amount and type of electrical equipment installed. In most schools, however, significant savings can generally be made in heating, lighting, catering and computing.
Start by taking a walk around your school and noting down what equipment is being used and where. Can you see any examples of where energy is being wasted? Children can be particularly efficient at this activity. Some instances may not be so obvious so use the list below to help you check.
- Are blinds down and lights on in classrooms? Make maximum use of natural daylight and always switch off all non-essential lighting where not required.
- Are your lamps energy efficient? Replace traditional tungsten lamps with ‘energy saving’ ones to reduce operating and maintenance costs.
- Are there any failing (flickering or with burnt ends) fluorescent tubes or excessively dim lights? Identify and replace these to maintain a safe environment. Replace old 1.5 inch (38mm) fluorescent tubes with 1 inch (26mm) tubes and establish a basic lighting maintenance programme to keep lights and windows clean.
- Is there any equipment left on but not being used? All electrical apparatus should if possible be switched off after use and especially at the end of the day. Enable standby features to allow machines to go into a lower energy using state when they haven’t been used for a set amount of time. 7 day timers can be installed to some equipment such as photocopiers, kilns and fume cupboards to help with this. Make sure all items are switched off during holiday periods.
- Is heating operating when not required? Experiment with switch-on / off times and ensure thermostats are set correctly. Remember children have higher metabolic rates than adults and are therefore comfortable at lower temperatures.
- Is the temperature appropriate in classrooms and general areas? Walk around your site at different times of the day and during different seasons to see how and when heaters and coolers are working. Check time and temperature settings and adjust accordingly.
- Are buildings well maintained? Gaps or holes in walls, windows and doors should be repaired immediately. Regular maintenance ensures that any potential issues are identified and dealt with promptly which helps to avoid expensive problems later on.
- Does your school have a swimming pool? Install and use a swimming pool cover whenever the pool is not in use to save on heating costs and reduce condensation.
- Are your kitchen staff aware of the importance of being energy efficient? Label equipment with minimum warm up times, keep fridge and freezer doors shut, use correctly sized saucepans and switch off unnecessary apparatus and lighting.
An energy and water management programme specifically for schools is available to offer further help and support. Sustainable Learning is available in England and Northern Ireland and offers three levels of certificate for schools that record progress on energy and water management by ticking off tasks on the website. Why not register at www.sustainablelearning.info today.
School in Scotland and Wales are able to register their schools and use the tools available on the site but are not at present able to benefit from certificates or further support from the programme.