Energy Efficiency
Grants Program for
Victorian Schools
Guidelines 2014
Published by the Learning and Teaching Division
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Melbourne November 2012
©State of Victoria (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development) 2012
The copyright in this document is owned by the State of Victoria (Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development), or in the case of some materials, by third parties (third party
materials). No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions
of the Copyright Act 1968
Authorised by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development,
2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne, Victoria, 3002
This document is also available on the Environmental Sustainability page at
www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/infrastructure/Pages/energygrant.aspx
Guidelines
2
Introduction
The Victorian Government encourages the embedding of sustainability into every aspect of
school and community life, recognising that this not only benefits our environment, but also helps
schools to reduce their costs. In 2011, the Victorian Government committed $8.305 million over
four years to continue to build on the existing ResourceSmart Australian Sustainable Schools
Initiative (AuSSI Vic) program.
ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic provides a framework for schools to embed sustainability into its
whole school program through infrastructure, curriculum and school management. Using a place
based model, ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic brings together nine consortia of local service providers
across Victoria to support schools through their sustainability journey. ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic
will be extended to reach an additional 400 schools by 2015.
Through the initiative, eligible schools will also be able to apply for a one-off energy efficiency
grant of up to $10,000 to assist them to more effectively manage their energy consumption and
embed sustainability into their whole school program. The Energy Efficiency Grants Program is a
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) and Sustainability Victoria
(SV) partnership.
About the grants
The Energy Efficiency Grants provide a one-off payment of up to $10,000 per school for 400
schools within the next three years. With the grant schools can undertake energy audits,
purchase energy efficient or sustainable infrastructure, and undertake related energy saving
activities. A full list of eligible items can be found under Eligible items and activities (page 6) in
these guidelines.
Schools that apply for an energy efficiency grant must sign up to ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic.
Schools must, as a minimum, commit to completing the Core Module with a focus on energy and
use the grant to support energy efficiency within the school. Schools that commit to completing
both the Core Module and Energy Module and align the grant with elements in the Energy
Module will be regarded favourably in the application process.
About ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic
ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic helps Victorian schools actively build sustainability into everyday
school and community life. Through ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic ‘5Star Sustainability Certification’,
schools can gain recognition as they step through each of the five modules within the framework.
Your school’s achievements are measured and celebrated using the data and evidence collected
and entered into SETS and this provides information about the savings made. Your school
community is encouraged to celebrate its achievements as it obtains its ‘stars’.
There are nine (four metro and five regional) consortia of service providers funded to support
schools with ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic. The consortia each have a lead regional coordinator
whose contact details in your area are located on Sustainability Victoria’s website. For more
information about regional coordinator contact details or the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic
framework visit: http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
Application
3
Who is eligible?
Schools that are new to the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic framework are eligible for the grant.
A new school is any school (or campus of a multi-campus school site) that:

as of December 2011 is not registered as a ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic school

has not received funding from a state, federal or local government source, since the
beginning of 2008 to participate in ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic.
The grant is open to all Victorian primary and secondary schools that meet the above criteria,
including government, independent and Catholic schools. Schools that are co-located (e.g. a
primary school with an early childhood centre attached) are encouraged to apply.
Schools participating in environment or sustainability education programs through other
organisations may still be eligible for the grant, provided the school is ‘new’ to the ResourceSmart
AuSSI Vic framework, as per the above definition.
If you have any questions about your school’s eligibility, contact DEECD via email
energy.efficiency@edumail.vic.gov.au prior to completing your application.
How can schools apply?
Energy Efficiency Grants will be made available to eligible schools in two phases. However,
eligible schools will be granted funding only once under this program. In both Phase 1 and 2
schools will be required to sign up to ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic and complete committed
modules.
Phase I – Applications close 30 May 2013
Grants were allocated to 191 schools under Phase 1.
Phase 2 – Applications close 30 May 2014
Eligible schools wishing to apply in Phase 2 should contact the regional coordinator within your
region to sign up for ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic. Regional coordinator details are located at
http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
Schools must then complete and submit their application.
Grants will be allocated to 209 new schools under Phase 2.
Selection process
Meeting the selection criteria does not guarantee funding. Schools should not commit to any
expenditure prior to signing a funding agreement with DEECD. Applications will be reviewed
by a panel made up of DEECD and SV staff.
Applicants must address the following selection criteria:

a commitment to complete the relevant ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic module and
development of a school energy efficiency program.

demonstration of how your school will align the grant with the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic
framework, in areas including infrastructure (buildings and assets), curriculum (teaching
and learning), school management (daily operations) and school/community links.

intended outputs (strategies and activities) and outcomes (impacts, both quantifiable and
qualitative) for use of the grant.

a breakdown of grant expenditure, for example for the cost of an energy audit and
implementation of audit recommendations. The following provides advice on the
breakdown of grant expenditure:
Guidelines
4
o
o
o
o
If conducting a commercial energy audit, you must contact an audit provider to
obtain a quote for your school (refer to ‘Does my school need to conduct a school
energy audit’ on page 7 of these guidelines).
In some instances, it will be sufficient to say, for example, ‘$7,000 towards
implementation of energy audit recommendations’ as schools will not know what
the recommendations will be.
If your school already has a current energy audit and you wish to use the grant to
purchase items from the audit recommendations, you must attach a quote to your
application (where applicable). You must also provide evidence of the energy
audit by attaching a copy of the audit’s front page, outlining the audit company’s
name and date.
If the grant is to be used for professional development and/or incursions or
excursions, you must source and provide details of appropriate programs.
Notification process
Successful applicants will be notified by DEECD’s Sustainability Education Coordinator after
applications close for each phase of the program. Grants will be distributed directly into school
accounts.
Reporting process
Schools will be required to complete an acquittal template and submit to DEECD within three
months of completion of their project and by June 2015 at the latest.
DEECD may request a physical inspection of the items purchased through the grant, where
appropriate. This will be carried out within a reasonable timeframe following the distribution of
grants.
Key Dates
Phase 1
Applications for grants open
November 2012
Online information session
April 2013
Applications for grants close
30 May 2013
Assessment of applications
July 2013
Successful grants announced
August 2013
Grants disturbed to schools
November 2013
Phase 2
Applications for grants open
January 2014
Online information session
April 2014
Applications for grants close
30 May 2014
Assessment of applications
July 2014
Successful grants announced
August 2014
Application
5
Grants disturbed to schools
November 2014
Two online information sessions will be available for schools. To register your interest in the
online information sessions email energy.efficiency@edumail.vic.gov.au
Eligible items and activities
It is in your school’s best interests to research project options so that your school gets the best
value from its grant. Items being installed must replace or reduce reliance on existing powerconsuming systems and measures, and not create a new source of power consumption (e.g.
installing new lights where none had existed before is ineligible).
Energy audit
Refer to ‘Does my school need to conduct a school energy audit’ on page
7 of these guidelines.
Professional
development related to
Energy Module
Staff are encouraged to participate in professional development. Staff must
share and implement learnings with the school community. Schools may
purchase teaching and learning resources related to energy efficiency.
Incursions and
excursions related to
Energy Module
Guest speakers can attend schools to provide students and teachers with
knowledge and motivation about energy efficiency. Schools must
demonstrate how outcomes will be embedded into whole school
approaches to energy efficiency and provide evidence of behaviour
change.
Automatic door closers;
automatic sliding doors
On external doors or doors to unheated or vented areas.
Ceiling fans
Energy efficient models only. Must be spaced and sized appropriately.
Only to be installed in buildings without existing air conditioning.
Draught seals on doors
and windows
Standard commercial products.
Energy efficient lighting
(interior or exterior)
Replacing incandescent with compact fluorescent lamps or LEDs.
Upgrading existing fluorescent lighting to current standard. Exterior lighting
must include appropriate daylight and/or motion sensors. Lighting is only
eligible if it is replacing existing and less efficient lighting. Installation of
movement sensored lighting. Installation of timer switches on existing
lighting circuits. Daylight or motion sensors for exterior lights.
Skylights
To be eligible, skylights should be fitted with a diffuser. Preferably
orientated south to avoid over-heating. Skylights should only be installed
where there is a lack of natural daylight.
Double glazing
Weather stripping, draft proofing and/or double glazing installed (where
appropriate).
Sensors, timers and
thermostats, including
timers on hot water units
and hot water pumps
Hardwired thermostats and timers for cooling and heating systems. No
item is to be installed if it creates a safety issue. All timers on boiling hot
water units, hot water pumps and heating and cooling systems must be
hard wired and installed as a 24 hour, 7 day power point timer or a time
clock within the switchboard. No plug in timers are permitted.
External shade awnings/
window tinting
In order to be eligible, a shade awning’s primary purpose must be to
provide shade to the windows of a school building, reducing reliance on an
existing air-conditioning system. An awning must be retractable and
externally attached to the school building. Schools must provide a
Guidelines
6
description of blind orientation in their application (e.g. north facing).
4,5 or 6 Star rated
appliances installed
(where appropriate)
Replacement of inefficient appliances as per recommendations made in
the school energy audit. For further information about choosing energy
efficient appliances, please see the ‘Smarter Choice’ Section of
Sustainability Victoria’s website.
Upgrading of hot water
system
New system must be a conversion from electric to gas, or it may be a
conversion from either conventional electric or gas to solar hot water
(SHW). A new gas system must be at least 5 stars. For gas
instantaneous systems choose electronic ignition instead of a
continuous pilot light to reduce gas consumption. A new SHW system
must meet a minimum performance of 60% solar energy savings as
defined by the Standard AS/NZS 4234:2008. For further information
about upgrading hot water systems, please
see http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/www/html/2025-compliantsolar-hot-water-systems.asp
Small wind generators
Wind generators need to be placed in an area that has an annual average
wind speed of 4 meters per second or higher. To check the wind speed in
your school’s area, refer to the bureau of meteorology website:
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/. Wind generators also need to be
placed clear of trees and buildings so the wind blowing through them is not
disrupted by other objects which cause turbulence and reduce the
efficiency of the wind generator. Wind generators should only be installed
in consultation with the energy auditor.
Does my school need to conduct a school energy audit?
Schools are encouraged to conduct an energy audit to improve their energy efficiency and help
reduce the impact of increasing energy costs. Larger schools in particular will benefit most from
an energy audit. If your school has not had an energy audit conducted recently the grant should
be used to pay for the audit and implement some of its recommendations.
Schools may choose to conduct their own energy audit through the Energy Module in the
ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic framework. Alternatively, schools are encouraged to source a suitably
qualified energy audit local provider. For assistance with identifying energy auditors or a list of
DEECD approved panel providers, email energy.efficiency@edumail.vic.gov.au. Further
information about school energy audits is also available at:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/infrastructure/Pages/sustainabilityaudit.aspx
Victorian Energy Efficiency Target
The Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) is administered by the Essential Services
Commission and is designed to make energy efficiency improvements more affordable and
contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases. Under the scheme, accredited businesses can
offer discounts and special offers on selected energy saving products and appliances. Ask your
electrician about the scheme and for a point of sale discount. For more information see
https://www.veet.vic.gov.au/Public/Public.aspx?id=Home.
Your electrician may also be required to fill in the Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificate (VEEC)
Decommissioning Form available from the VEET website to be submitted together with your
schools report to DEECD upon completion of the project.
Application
7
Further Information:
For further information about the ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic framework see:
http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
For further information about the Energy Efficiency Grants contact DEECD at email address
energy.efficiency@edumail.vic.gov.au
Guidelines
8