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FEATURE FOCUS: SCHOOL MAINTENANCE & DESIGN
Energy efficiency must be prioritised to tackle rising costs for schools
another potential 50% energy price increase in October, and schools face crippling expenses. In fact, despite assurances from the
Department of Education that soaring energy bills would have a “relatively small impact” on schools, schools across the country are reporting that they’ve had to make cut elsewhere. According to a survey by the National Association of head Teachers (NAHT), schools are planning to foot rising energy bills by reducing investment in school equipment, reducing maintenance, reducing the number of teachers and teaching assistants, and reducing non-educational support and services for children. Considering this, and with energy being the
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chools are not insulated from the spike in energy prices, with many facing
increasing cost pressures. Luckily, bills can be reduced by making smart retrofit decisions. In our penultimate feature covering school maintenance and design Stewart Little, CEO of IRT Surveys, explains the why and how of data-driven retrofits for schools.
Following the 50% increase in energy prices in April, school budgets, like those of households and businesses across the UK, are stretched. Add
second largest budget item for schools after staffing, investing in energy saving solutions is becoming necessary. Add the fact that 60% of school buildings in the UK were built before the mid-seventies, with an estimated 72% of these expected to still be in use by 2050, and improving energy efficiency in existing school buildings in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and ultimately fuel bills, is vital. Retrofits have long been recognised as a
solution to improving schools’ energy efficiency and reducing their carbon emissions, but the costs involved in such projects have often been prohibitive. Thankfully, by standardising the route between building engineering and finance,
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schools can now create projects that pay for themselves.
Data driven decision-making To facilitate smart retrofit decision-making, school governors, heads and other school stakeholders need to gather data to help identify the energy efficiency and emissions issues present in the existing school buildings. Using Building Information Modelling (BIM) for
building envelope thermal performance analysis and energy efficiency evaluation allows them to identify buildings’ emissions and energy efficiency issues, predict the costs of addressing these issues, and calculate their return on investment. When combined with thermal imaging, sensor
data and other associated data, BIM can have an even greater impact as the resulting data offers far more useful and accurate visual insights into the condition of school buildings. Thermal imaging is most commonly used to
assess buildings and make informed decisions about potential retrofitting by quantifying the images and detecting energy deficiencies. By producing accurate data, it can help school stakeholders make smart decisions based on facts, not assumptions. This is because an infrared thermal imaging
survey offers an accurate insight into the condition of the building fabric, providing a
June 2022
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