Introduction
We have been working with the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester, Dorset for over 18 months in order to identify and implement opportunities for reducing energy use and cutting carbon dioxide emissions.
The Thomas Hardye School is a government funded, non-boarding mixed school for pupils aged 11-18. There are currently around 2,500 pupils and 200-300 academic and non-academic support staff at the school which covers an area of around 19,000m2 in total. The school occupies a large suburban site built on land belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall and is also adjacent to the Prince of Wales new development at Poundbury.
challenge
An initial Opportunities Assessment was arranged through the Carbon Trust which enabled us to carry out a walk round energy audit of the school site. Although high levels of enthusiasm were observed, much of the driving force to date had been through one of two individuals amongst the Senior Staff. There was clearly a distinct need to develop an overarching energy policy and raise the levels of awareness about energy efficiency of staff and pupils alike.
The initial report identified a range of measures from better monitoring and targeting to improving fabric insulation levels, installing new lighting controls and looking at alternative heating technologies when the older communal boilers are replaced. We also recommended that insulation be fitted to valves and fittings within the 8 different boiler rooms and that insulation be fitted to exposed pipework within classrooms and corridors.
solution
During the course of the initial audit and a subsequent 'next
steps' follow up audit, we identified multiple measures which were
presented as an Action Plan for the school to implement. Some of
the measures identified were:
- Improve energy management practices & implement energy
policy
- Raise awareness of energy efficiency throughout the school
- Develop and implement site-wide procedure to ensure pupils/staff
turn off electrical appliances and lights when leaving classrooms
and communal areas
- Fit flange and valve insulation into all boiler rooms
- Replace faulty self-closers on external doors and fit new units
where required
- Audit all un-insulated hot water pipes within buildings,
investigate accessibility and security issues and insulate all
un-insulated hot pipes where possible
- Install PIR and daylight linked lighting in communal areas and
stairwells
- Replace single glazed theatre and kitchen double doors with
double glazed automatic closing units
- Top up roof insulation to Humanities (upper floor Social Science
block)
- Investigate feasibility of installing a wind turbine in the
school grounds.
outcome
The recommendations made by us were estimated to save the school around £26,000 per annum, reduce energy consumption by 730,000kWh and save 200 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum. We have subsequently carried out the pipework and flange and valve insulation measures for the school who have to date implemented around 75% of the measures originally identified.
Now that most of the no-cost and low-cost energy efficiency measures have been implemented; an energy policy developed; monitoring improved and awareness raised throughout the school, the focus has switched to embracing appropriate forms of renewable energy. We are therefore looking to undertake a feasibility study for a 50kW wind turbine on the school playing fields, partly funded by the Carbon Trust. Part of this work will be involving the pupils in installing wind speed monitoring equipment so that realistic energy yields and savings in electricity usage can be determined.
" Students have become more responsible for their energy consumption and are enthusiastic about reducing their carbon footprint. The best type of energy is energy that isn't used."
Steve Fraser, Thomas Hardye School
