CASE STUDY ENERGY EFFICIENT SCHOOLS

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1 CASE STUDY ENERGY EFFICIENT SCHOOLS The SPARE project has reached out to 5,000 schools and 300,000 pupils in 20 countries in Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia and Africa. SPARE builds on low-cost measures and behavioral changes that improve the conditions in the buildings with less use of energy, support science education, create awareness and demonstrate energy efficient solutions for the community. 1. Introduction Schools are important hubs in any community, and most families have a relation to the school through the pupils. Schools can play an important role in awareness raising and dissemination of best practices in energy efficiency and utilization of local resources. The SPARE school educational project, developed by the Norwegian environmental NGO Naturvernforbundet ( combines education, practical measures and advocacy in the community. Understanding the relations between our energy consumption and the global climate change is highly under-emphasized in educational plans (curricula) in most countries. Bringing up these issues in the school system has been highly welcomed by civil society and authorities in the project countries. To link the educational part with a practical component for the pupils, has triggered the interest of school administrations and parents for more systematic inputs to energy efficient solutions for school buildings and private homes. A number of best practices for low-cost energy measures, which can be implemented by the use of locally available materials and manpower, has therefore been developed. Energy efficiency is a key word for all these measures, regardless of where a school is located. To find energy efficient solutions might help to reduce emissions and costs for heating/cooling and lighting, but can also improve the indoor climate and thus learning conditions for the pupils. Simple, low-cost measures that need local involvement are more often than not overlooked by governments and the major equipment providers. These low-hanging fruits are picked and disseminated by the SPARE project by involving schools and giving them knowledge and practical examples. Indoor climate has a big effect on pupils work at school. Many schools have a limited budget and total rehabilitation of old buildings is not possible. Sanitary norms are frequently violated, and the pupils learning environment is degraded. In some poor and cold regions schools are also forced to close during the coldest winter period due to lack of proper heating. Heat, ventilation and light are critical factors for indoor climate as well as for energy consumption. SPARE best practice guidelines take into account the economic situation for schools as well as availability of products and services in each country.

2 2. School activities In the process of development and dissemination of the SPARE project, Naturvernforbundet and partners have developed a set of approaches to meet energy challenges at schools, in private households and communities. Based on our experiences the school activities should have three elements. A) Environmental education Environmental education should be developed in a way that gives the coming generation the knowledge and motivation needed to avoided dangerous climate change. It is necessary to include climate change, energy and efficient utilization of resources in the curriculum. Just as important is to find ways to engage pupils and involve them in practical activities. SPARE has developed an educational packet consisting: Textbook on energy and climate aimed at the teachers Methodological guideline for a cycle of lessons (half year/full year) Guidelines for practical lessons and involvement of pupils in real improvement of the energy efficiency in the school. Recommendations for training of teachers Involvement of NGOs or someone to inspire and develop campaigns at local level is a crucial element. They can also promote changes and integration in national educational plans. B) Best practice for low-cost energy efficiency measures in schools. Energy efficiency depends for a big part on the users. Much can be done without big investments and advanced technologies. In school buildings involvement of pupils, teachers, staff and parents is a way to combine practical improvements with awareness raising. Energy audit and monitoring should become a part of the educational activities. Pupils can form energy brigades that in turn look into the energy use in the school. Checklists and best practice guidelines adapted to building type and climate conditions are necessary tools. Engagement among the users will open other energy efficiency opportunities than a top-down approach, and local competence and craftsmen can be utilized to find low-cost solutions where traditional solutions are too costly. 2

3 Example from Caucasus and Central Asia: Monitoring is a key to understand the situation. Many schools do not know their real energy consumption and how they perform on environmental indicators as CO2 level, light and temperature in the classrooms. Monitoring is a suitable activity to include in the educational activities and a first step to propose actions. Light is important for school performance. Sanitary norms indicate how much light is needed, but they are frequently overlooked. Quality light fixtures are expensive while the market is flooded by cheap equipment without any documentation. Fitting cheap reflectors with electronic control unit and quality light tubes meets the sanitary norms with an investment affordable to most schools. Modern light can reduce energy consumption with up to 80 %. Efficient stoves for heating with wood have been developed, and local masters have been trained in how to construct them. Many schools are dependent on wood heating. Old, inefficient stoves are not only expensive in use but there is a high risk of CO pollution in the classrooms. Improved stoves typically reduce fuel consumption by %. Solar heating of water is a way to provide hot water for kitchen and bathrooms in regions with poor fuel access. This is also a visible demonstration site where the communities can learn about this technology. A number of additional measures can be implemented, depending on the conditions and situation of the school. This can be roof insulation, improved drainage to avoid moisture, reflector insulation at the heat source, as well as development of solar PV systems. Sealing of windows is a way to improve the performance of old wooden windows. The pupils with help from parents can do most of the work with glass, silicone and wood working equipment. This gives a better work environment in the classroom with marginal investment. In addition it is important to set up a system that meets the increased need for ventilation. Such simple measures will in many schools reduce the heat losses by %. 3

4 C) Dissemination and public outreach component Schools have an important position in all communities. Pupils can be one of the most efficient channels of reaching out to families with information about sustainable living, especially where life style changes are involved. The school energy education can benefit from involvement of parents, and children can be active promotors of climate-friendly practices. Example from Africa: In many African and Asian countries cooking is done on an open fire, with a negative impact of the smoke and high energy consumption as result. Here the school can demonstrate new, improved stoves in their own kitchen, and trough environmental education, involve the pupils as change agents. In Mozambique and other African countries tenvironmental NGOs work with schools to educate the pupils and enable them to bring the topic to their families. In parallel local entrepr neurs are trained in production and installation of improved cook stoves and other improved technologies. The smoke-free village campaign will, depending on the local situation, include issues as: Improved stoves reduced smoke from cooking Improved charcoal kilns no smoke from earth kilns Solar light reduced smoke from kerosene lamps and candles Improved farming reduced smoke from slash and burn & bush fires Improved waste handling and composting reduced smoke from waste burning Stop smoking - No tobacco No flaring of natural gas from oil production 4

5 3. What to do In order to utilize the huge potential of the school as a hub for energy awareness there are a few basic steps to be taken by Governments and NGOs. National governments could do: National authorities can recommend elective courses on energy efficiency or integrate in national curricula Welcome and support NGO partners/institutions that can support dissemination and backstop ping of the schools Develop a national target for energy efficiency educational buildings. Establish financial support for schools which want to pilot energy efficient solutions and related educational activities. Use school buildings as pilot and demonstration sites for energy efficient solutions and utiliza tion of local, renewable energy sources Local Governments and schools could do: All schools should establish a group responsible for energy and environment Sign up for energy efficiency educational program as SPARE Allow motivated teachers to preform elective courses on energy efficiency and integrated in science education Invite parents, NGOs and business to be partners in the energy activities Create a meeting point in the community where schools and pupils can tell about their work and advocate efficiency measures Make energy audit of the buildings and choose efficient solutions whenever anything is changed/repaired. Give schools incentives to be energy efficient Development of local business: Learning and using best practices for cost efficient improvement of efficiency with local skills and materials (window restoration, up-grading light fixtures with electronic ballast, making efficient wood stoves, etc.) Promoting the new solutions / best practices in the community 5