Carbon Reduction
Fund for Schools
Application guide
Making your school more energy
and cost efficient
Round 4 - Issue date: 22nd September 2014
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Introduction
Schools in the UK spend over £400m a year on energy, with secondary schools
commonly receiving bills in the order of £60,000. Case study evidence suggests that
an average secondary school could save up to 20% off its energy bills through
changes to heating, lighting and cooling equipment; a saving of around £12,000 each
and every year.
In addition, the Carbon Trust estimates the annual total carbon dioxide (co2)
emissions from UK schools is 7.3 million tonnes; a significant amount that needs to
be reduced. For more information about co2, and why we all need to take steps to
reduce it, go to: www.lbhf.gov.uk/co2
In Hammersmith & Fulham, schools account for nearly half of the total co2 emissions
from council owned buildings. To help improve the borough’s emissions, the carbon
reduction team work with local schools to:




promote retrofit works to improve the energy efficiency of school buildings
and reduce utility bills.
capture the co2 and cost savings from carbon reduction projects undertaken
in schools.
encourage eco schools sign up and a ‘whole school’ approach to engage the
school community in behaviour change.
support school eco co-ordinators to organise and take forward co2 reduction
in their school.
Whilst some good work has been carried out in recent years by local schools to
undertake carbon projects and green activities, there is still progress to be made and
this is why the Carbon Reduction Fund was introduced in 2013.
Last year the fund awarded a number of schools between £9k and £20k each to
undertake energy efficient improvements such as the installation of LED lights and
draught proofing. The LED projects in particular successfully reduced school energy
bills by up to 75% per annum, and the total carbon savings contributed a reduction of
130 tonnes co2 from the H&F carbon footprint. To read the case studies, and find
out the cost savings achieved, go to the schools case studies section at:
www.lbhf.gov.uk/greenschools
With high energy costs becoming the ‘norm’, there is no better time to address the
energy efficiency of your school in order to make savings to your budget. Energy
projects also bring additional benefits such as improvements to the school
environment, positive behaviour change among the school community, and the
creation of real life examples to help embed the topic into the curriculum.
Carbon Reduction fund – round 4 now open
The fund is open from 22nd September to 24th October 2014.
The carbon reduction team coordinates a bureau system that collates H&F schools
energy use. The system can generate reports to determine if your school
experiences high gas or electricity usage/costs, which may be useful for your carbon
fund application. If you would like to receive a gas and electricity report prior to
submitting your application, please contact carbonreduction@lbhf.gov.uk
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About the fund
Funding is available for energy efficient projects that result in significant energy
savings which also have a payback of between 2-6 years. The co2 savings will be
collated towards the H&F carbon reduction target.
We would expect to fund projects in the order of £5-20k. However, where projects
exceed this amount, applications will be judged on a case-by-case basis. There is
also scope to match fund projects with the school paying the remainder.
For information – interest free Salix loans are available to schools who would like to
match fund but do not currently have the resources in place. More information can
be found at: http://salixfinance.co.uk/loans/schools-loans. Projects need to have a
maximum of 5 years payback to be eligible.
What kinds of projects are suitable?
Please see the appendix table below for examples of the type of energy efficient
projects that the fund is likely to support, and an indication of the cost – low, medium
or high. The estimated costs of the projects are indicative and will differ for each
school depending on the type, size and age etc of the school building.
The table also lists potential contractors that delivered energy efficient projects in
council buildings and schools in recent years. This information is provided as an
example only. Other options are widely available and schools are free to research a
suitable contractor outside of this list.
In 2011 energy and carbon surveys were carried out in some local schools by our
then contractor, EC Harris, to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency. If
you would like to check if a report exists for your school, please contact
carbonreduction@lbhf.gov.uk
You may also find it useful to take a look at our energy efficient buildings guidance
webpage which contains lots of useful guides from the Carbon Trust.
Application process
The deadline for applications is Friday 24th October 2014.
Please submit a completed application form including a quote from your preferred
contractor to: carbonreduction@lbhf.gov.uk For any queries please call 020 8753
6238.
Application Criteria
C1.
Projects will primarily be considered on their potential to reduce both carbon
dioxide (co2) emissions and the annual energy spend of the school.
Your application should include a short summary of the potential energy, co2
and cost savings, plus the payback* period.
NB: Your chosen contractor should be able to provide the above requested
energy, co2 and cost savings, plus payback information via their quote,
following a site visit to your school. This information should be free of charge.
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* Payback is the period of time required for the return on an investment to
"repay" the sum of the original investment. This does not mean you are
required to repay any of the funding grant, it is just an industry standard
method of calculating how long it will take to gain back the cost of the work
from the ongoing savings made by carrying out the work. Your contractor will
be familiar with this and should be able to provide it in their quote.
C2.
Schools should also demonstrate how the project will be used to help engage
the whole or a part of the school community (pupils, teachers, staff, parents,
governors) in behaviour change, and to promote a ‘whole school’ approach by
using the project as a real life example to tie into curriculum activities.
C3.
Priority will be given to schools who have joined up to the Eco Schools
framework**, and nominate a member of staff as the school Eco Coordinator
to take forward the steps in the Green your school toolkit and attend the H&F
Schools Eco Coordinators Forum (meets three times a year).
**Eco-Schools is an international award programme that guides schools on their
sustainable journey, providing a simple and easy to use framework to help embed
these principles into the heart of school life. It is free to register and the site
contains many useful resources - including step by step instructions and templates.
Please read the Green your school toolkit on our website for details of how to join
Eco Schools.
Terms and conditions for successful applicants
T1.
Schools will be required to nominate a project administrator to be responsible
for the management and delivery of the project.
T2.
The project administrator will be required to provide regular and timely written
feedback/ evidence of progress to the carbon reduction team.
T3.
Schools must progress the works within 3 months of receiving funding
confirmation and complete the project within 6 months (for larger projects this
may be extended to 1 year).
T4.
The funding allocation will be paid to the school on receipt of the contractors
invoice and a case study.
T5.
Once the project is complete, the project administrator will be required to
submit a 1 or 2 page case study to explain to project and its benefits. Please
note the funding payment will not be made until the case study has
been received. The case study will be advertised on the H&F Green Schools
website.
The Carbon Reduction team will not be involved in managing the project but will
monitor progress and outcomes in order to collate evidence for the H&F Carbon
Reduction target.
Further Information
Applications will be evaluated against the fund criteria and successful applicants will
be notified within 1 week of the closing date. The amount of funding awarded is at the
discretion of Hammersmith and Fulham Council officers. The funding decision is final
and no correspondence can be entered into.
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Carbon Reduction Fund Application Form
Name of school
Address
Name and job title of
Project Administrator
Direct dial telephone number
Email
Name of Project
Brief overview of project
Funding amount requested
£
How the project meets the criteria-C1, C2, C3- on page 4 of application pack (Continue on
another sheet if required)
Criteria 1
5
Criteria 2
Criteria 3 - Priority will be
given to schools who have
registered
See Green your school toolkit
Eco Schools registration date
- To check if your school is
already registered go to:
http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/
ecoschools/schoolsearch
Have you registered with Eco Schools?
Yes / No
Name of Eco Co-ordinator
Job Title
Direct dial telephone number
Email
Contractor name
Address
Telephone number
Email
Please attach the contractor quotation and any other supporting documentation to
your email and send to carbonreduction@lbhf.gov.uk
Closing date: Friday 24th October 2014
For any queries please email above or call: 020 8753 6238
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Appendix
Examples of projects that could be funded (you do not have to choose from the list – it has been provided as a guide only)
Click here for the Carbon Trust Green Business Directory
FOR SCHOOLS WITH HIGH ELECTRICITY USAGE / BILLS
Type of project
Description and benefit
Cost
* Low (L))/
Medium
(M)/ High
(H)
LED lights
(match
funding)
Replacing standard fluorescent tubes with LEDs have so far proved a very
popular energy reduction solution for schools and office sites in H&F.
H
Companies &
Consultants
(provided as
examples only
– other options
are available)
Energy saving
lighting
LED lights are very efficient and, apart from reducing annual energy costs
by 60-75%, they also reduce the maintenance costs associated with
replacing redundant tubes, as LED light last 10 times longer than
fluorescent tubes.
Case study/ More
info
Click here for case
studies from various
local schools that
have installed LEDs
Queens Manor
Primary School Case
Study
LED lights provide a brighter and more natural type of lighting which in turn
can create a better learning environment for both staff and pupils.
Carbon Trust Guide:
Lighting
A total replacement of lighting is recommended for maximum benefits
especially if your school has outdated T8 or T12 lighting in place.
Lighting
controls and
PIR sensors
Lighting controls, such as Passive Infra-red (PIR) motion or light detection
sensors, can provide good energy saving by automatically turning off
lighting in low occupancy areas and where lights tend to be left on for long
periods of time unnecessarily. Rooms with good natural light levels can
also benefit from daylight sensing (photocell)/dimming.
M-L
ESP Sensor
Danlers
Hurlingham and
Chelsea School case
study
If sensors are installed correctly, taking into account the use of the different
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areas in the school, it could result in approximately 40% savings if your
schools main lighting is still old fluorescent technology.
A lighting supplier should be engaged to undertake a complete audit of the
school in order to specify the most effective type of sensors for a particular
school.
Daylight
Systems
The introduction of natural daylight systems, or roof lights, when combined
with modern lighting controls, allows electric lighting to be reduced or
turned off whenever daylight is available. This can result in good savings in
energy and resulting CO2 emissions by combining rooflights with a modern
lighting control system.
H
Apollo Daylight
Systems
Brett Martin
Normand Croft
primary school
installed daylight
systems when their
new building was
constructed.
In schools, daylight has been scientifically proven to improve the attention
spans of children. The Department for Education and Employment quote
that: “The school designer should assume that daylight will be the prime
means of lighting when it is available,” in Building Bulletin 90, Lighting
Design for Schools.
FOR SCHOOLS WITH HIGH GAS USAGE / BILLS
Type of project
Description and benefit
Cost
* Low (L))/
Medium
(M)/ High
(H)
Boiler
replacement
(Match
funding)
Modern condensing gas boilers are able to achieve high efficiency ratings M- H
by recovering additional heat energy held in the fuel gases by condensing
the water vapour held in the flue gas and recycling it as useful energy.
Companies &
Consultants
(provided as
examples only
– other options
are available)
Carbon Trust
Green Business
Directory
Case study/ More
info
Carbon Trust Guide:
Low Temperature Hot
Water Boilers
Payback and savings will depend on a number of factors such as the
quantity, type and size of boilers, including the site position.
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Boiler
optimisation
units/controls
Boiler optimisation units can be easily retrofitted on any boiler without
major cost. The control optimises the efficiency of each individual boiler by
attaching a unit which monitors the temperature and adjust the firing cycle
of the boiler accordingly.
L- M
Such controls have a 365 day scheduling facility to enable the user to
programme different time schedules for holidays, weekends and each day
of the week. This is designed to ensure that the heating system is only
operable when the building is occupied.
Envido –
energy
consultants
Dynamic
energy products
Ener-g controls boiler
trials results
Carbon Trust Guide:
Heating Control
ENER-G
Controls
This can reduce energy consumption by between 10% and 25% and some
companies will estimate and guarantee the savings to be made.
It is recommended that the company or person who maintains your boiler
is also involved and on board with this project.
Single Pipe
Thermostatic
Radiator
Values (TRVs)
for radiators
Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) are designed to start/stop flow M-H
through a radiator in order to control the temperature in that area to a set
point, thus reducing your energy use.
The TRV primarily consists of two key components; the valve body, which
mechanically modulates water supply rate to the radiator and valve head,
which moderates room temperature by monitoring the temperature of the
surrounding air.
Danfoss
House Tech
Solutions
The ‘Electronic Thermostatic Radiator Valve’ (eTRV) is a further
progression of this technology, offering much closer temperature control
and the ability to program the TRV to operate in accordance with
occupancy needs.
A test case at London South Bank Uni achieved 27% savings.
A similar ‘Housetech’ programable device is also available.
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Heating Valve
Insulation
Uninsulated heating system valves act as radiators, releasing uncontrolled L
waste heat to otherwise unheated spaces such as plant room areas.
Sustain
Sustain Case Study
at Barts Hospital
Quattro Seal
See case study at
Greenside School
Installation of valve insulation jackets is a simple, cost effective measure to
significantly reduce this energy wastage and hence, improve the overall
efficiency of the heating system.
Draught
Proofing
Draughts from windows and doors are uncontrolled: they let in too much
cold air and waste too much heat. Draught-proofing is one of the cheapest
and most efficient ways to save energy and money in any type of building.
L-M
Quattro Seal is a unique sealing system that eliminates all draughts and
has been tested by the Building Research Establishment to reduce air
leakage by 53%. This means typical and provable energy savings of up to
20% can be achieved with **payback of around 36 months.
ALL SCHOOLS - ELECTRICITY & GAS USAGE
Thermal
Window Film
Thermal window film not only reduces solar heat gain in summer, but also L-M
heat loss in winter. This helps to lower energy bills and carbon usage from
heating and cooling plants, as well as providing year-round thermal
comfort.
The return on investment is typically in three to four years, and will
effectively ‘earn’ money thereafter. There are different finishes to the film,
meaning that listed buildings and more commercial-style properties can
both benefit from this technology. It can also reduce ‘glare’.
Sun-X
Sun-X offers a
free surveying
service, which
can include an
energy analysis
report, showing
carbon and
energy
reduction,
together with
the associated
annual cost
savings.
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* Cost Key:
High (H):
10-20K
Medium (M): 5-10k
Low (L):
up to 5k
** Payback period - the period of time required for the return on an investment to "repay" the sum of the original investment. (Please note you won’t be
required to repay any of the funding grant)
NB: This is a list of potential companies and consultants that carry out energy efficient improvements. The information is provided as an example only
– other options are widely available and schools are free to research a suitable contractor outside of this list.
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