ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR


HOW EDUCATION ESTATES CAN STA


While the education sector eagerly awaits an update on


school heating upgrade funding, Neville Radford, specification and sector manager at Baxi, outlines how the heating and hot water industry can practically support education estates on the road to the 2030 net zero target


I


t has been a year since the government made the ‘difficult decision’ to commit no further


investment to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme beyond existing Phase 3 and 4 projects. Launched in 2020, over £3.8 billion had been awarded to schools, colleges and other public sector organisations to replace inefficient heating systems and reduce energy bills. Despite the UK’s vision to become the ‘world-


leading education sector in sustainability and change by 2030’, full details of targeted replacement funding for heat decarbonisation are yet to be announced. The concern is that this leaves school estate managers questioning the steps they can now take on their net zero journey. As we await clarity around future funding support, there are several actions that can help accelerate heat decarbonisation and boost heating efficiency in the meantime.


UNDERSTAND USAGE A significant grant isn’t always needed to make an equally large difference. A viable starting point is to understand how and


A refurbishment project for The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust. Heat pumps were considered for both sites but had to be ruled out due to capital and operational cost implications


where energy is being used in buildings and how well the heating systems are working. This information will make it much easier to identify quick wins for immediate energy savings and to set longer-term decarbonisation plans. Controls can have a huge impact on comfort and efficiency, yet they are rarely serviced or optimised, which often leads to systems running 24/7 at maximum capacity. A robust control strategy includes accurate time and temperature settings to avoid needless energy usage during weekends and holidays. Where appropriate, adding weather


compensation control and zonal heating will ensure the system adjusts to external temperatures and allow schools to heat only the areas in use. Where draughts are a problem, and budgets allow, estate managers should prioritise improvements to the building fabric to minimise heat loss. This may include properly sealing doors and window frames, upgrading insulation in walls, roofs and floors and installing triple-glazed windows. It is just as important to inspect and


maintain pipework lagging, as poorly insulated pipes can lead to major heat loss


before warmth even reaches the intended spaces. 28 ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Summer 2026


PLAN AHEAD Performing regular surveys to understand the condition of the plant and heating system serving the building could uncover opportunities for system optimisation and assist with forward planning. It will also help to avoid the rushed, like-for-like replacements that often inherit the inefficiencies of their predecessors. This, in turn, will make it much easier to plot actionable pathways to net zero and the shift from fossil fuels towards an all-electric heating and hot water system. This would typically involve low-carbon heat pumps complemented by renewable technologies like solar PV, solar thermal and batteries. In addition to space heating, domestic hot water (DHW) presents a real opportunity to decarbonise. Point-of-use (POU) electric water heaters can play a valuable role by generating hot water only where and when it is needed, eliminating distribution losses associated with long pipe runs and reducing the need for stored hot water. This helps to cut energy waste and heat loss and lessens the risk of legionella, removing the need to maintain high storage temperatures to prevent the spread of bacteria. When paired with low-carbon electricity and on-site renewables, POU solutions offer a flexible route to decarbonising DHW that can be adopted in stages, making them particularly well


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