We know that addressing carbon
emissions, saving money and reducing energy use are of strategic importance to all schools, so your strategy should set out: Objectives – we are going to… Current situation – we are… Challenge – we need to… Risks and opportunities – we should consider... The next step is to address: The biggest energy challenges. Why it’s a problem for the school. How you currently plan to meet that challenge. What obstacles are in the way. The key is to involve stakeholders
in this process, asking them to rank these energy challenges from highest to lowest priority. This will help you understand how energy is currently used in the school, breaking it down into bite-sized chunks that help people share their
knowledge and tease out where the risks and opportunities lie. Set objectives linked to the
school’s development plan, with short-, medium- and long-term goals. By exploring your school’s ‘mission’ and ‘vision’ you can get a better understanding of how to create a successful energy strategy. Once you go through this process you should get something that can galvanise the support of all stakeholders, from the boiler room to the boardroom, because they all need to be involved.
Engage stakeholders Ask yourself which stakeholders you need to engage to help develop and drive your energy strategy, and who might feel inspired to act and make change happen? This may depend on the size of your organisation, but in most schools your Deputy Head,
CASE STUDY: GIVING THE WHOLE ESTATE AN UPDATE
Built in 2000, Dryden School is a secondary special school in Gateshead with 52 students. The need to maintain a comfortable and safe environment for the pupils while reducing energy bills was paramount. Dryden is a high-energy user as the school caters for children with special education needs, and
facilities include a hydrotherapy pool. The school used an interest-free Salix
loan of £77,965 to reduce its annual energy spend by over £342 per pupil. Dryden worked with Gateshead Council to make improvements to the Building Energy Management System and install LED lighting, pipework insulation, a new and reconfigured air-handling unit (AHU), AHU controls and pumps, pool pump controls and draught-proofing. These projects helped the school
reduce its energy consumption by an estimated 40 per cent, resulting in £17,813 of savings on its annual energy costs. The loan will be repaid from the cost savings in just over four years. Christine Hewitson, School Business
18 SPRING 2018 FundEd
Manager, Dryden School: ‘The local authority has been excellent, providing advice and giving us general support. The lighting is brighter and there are fewer heating issues with our hydrotherapy pool, allowing both the students and outside agencies to access the pool more often.’ Derek Luke, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Gateshead Council: ‘The energy use has been significantly reduced, while the comfort of the school environment has also improved, with better lighting quality and the ability to control individual room temperatures. Every school we have looked at within the local authority has benefitted from a review of energy use.’
Governor or School Business Manager have to wear several of estate management, engineering and sustainability hats. A teacher might also be an eco-champion, so send an open invitation to your community to join an energy steering committee. Agree a main objective – which
excites, collaborates and engages – to explain the energy strategy in the
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