Pobalscoil Neasáin Competition Entry For The
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
'One Good Idea' Competition.
Our one good idea was to try and introduce an
electric vehicle (EV) charge facility in schools to
incentivise more people to drive EV's and
therefore dramatically reduce our greenhouse gas
emissions and the associated impact on climate
change. Ireland imports 90% of its energy in the
form of fossil fuels and this is simply not
sustainable.
We believe that schools are the ideal platform to
introduce such an incentive because teachers have
a constancy in their place of work. Our survey has
indicated that 100% of teachers in our school live
within the range offered by an EV, with the
average distance being travelled daily as 35km
commute and the furthest being 110km*.
We need to be bold and imaginative and realise
that we have an opportunity to change the way
people travel. Pobalscoil Neasáin is currently
working to achieve its second green flag under the
topic of ‘Energy ’and this plan will play a major
role in achieving our goal of obtaining our second
green flag.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recently found that Ireland will probably miss its
carbon emissions targets by a significant amount.
With a major carbon reduction deadline looming
in five years’ time, the EPA said last month that
Ireland may only deliver half of the decrease
demanded.
Under EU commitments, the country is obliged to
reduce its carbon emissions by 20pc from 2005
levels by the year 2020.
However the EPA found the likely decrease will
be between 9pc and 14pc. The use of EV’S will
greatly increase Irelands chances of meeting its
targets as they produce only one quarter of the
carbon emissions and this figure could be zero if
we source our electricity from renewable
suppliers. The Irish state currently spends €7
billion per year on imported fuels, this is not
sustainable and our schools make up a
considerable amount of this figure.
Our survey returned that of the 55 people surveyed
35 would consider using an EV and that 43 people
thought that the facility to charge at their place of
work would be very positive and influence their
decision to go electric.
We have also written to the minister of Education
outlining our plan for a pilot scheme to be rolled in
schools across the country. We would hope that
the minister would consider part funding the
installation cost of charge facilities.
We believe that as a Green School and a
Community School we have the role of promoting
more environmental ways of travel in the
community. In order to achieve this we aim to
promote the use of EV's and would ask that
schools try and source their electricity from
renewable energy suppliers in order to make the
EV facility 100% carbon neutral.
*It is worth noting the charge facility will not be
used as a method for any one individual to
charge their EV all day on a daily basis. The
allocated daily time per EV will be 1hr and this is
outlined later in this document..
This is to try to encourage and incentivise people
to use EV’S as knowing that they have a facility
to charge in work if there are worried with range
anxiety. This may help to alleviate any worries.
Some useful information on EV's
Before learning about charging stations, it’s useful
to learn a little about the vehicles that will use
them.
EV’s
All-Electric Vehicles (EVs)
EVs (also called battery-electric vehicles, or
BEVs) use batteries to store the electrical energy
that powers one or more motors. The batteries are
charged by plugging the vehicle into an electric
power source. EVs can also be charged in part
through regenerative braking, which generates
electricity from some of the energy normally lost
when braking. It’s as simple as that—EVs have no
ICEs (internal combustion engine) and produce no
tailpipe emissions. Today’s EVs typically have a
shorter driving range than conventional vehicles
have. Most light-, medium-, and heavy-duty EVs
have a range of about 100 miles on a fully charged
battery, although a few models have longer ranges.
An EV’s range varies based on driving conditions
and driving habits. Extreme outside temperatures
tend to reduce range, because energy from the
battery must power climate control systems in
addition to powering the motor. Speeding,
aggressive driving, and heavy loads can also
reduce range. The time required to charge
depleted batteries can range from less than 30
minutes to almost 10 hours.
So what is the potential cost?
The cost to the school per 1 hour charge would be
between 60 cent to €1.00. The projected cost over
a 2 monthly billing period for 2 EV’s needing to
top up a charge would be €16, and €8 for one
EV. An EV would not need to charge every day, it
would be more likely to need a top up charge
during cold weather events when the battery loses
power quicker as it attempts to heat the car or
when it is very windy. The facility to charge in
work would be very useful if an EV owner needed
to make an extended journey on the way home, it
would take away a lot of worry. The cost to the
employer could be as little €16/8 per bill.
How the project will be funded is addressed later
in this document.
So who will pay for the charge point?
It is hoped that the school will view this ‘idea’ as
an opportunity to move with technology and be a
national model for students, staff, and the wider
community. As part of the schools drive for a
second green flag this would be seen as positive
move as the next award is linked to our energy use
and carbon footprint.
It would be an investment in the school’s
infrastructure and generate a lot of positive
feedback both in the community and in the world
of education. Similar ideas are already in use with
Google, Ebay, Paypal and University College
Dublin where all charging is available free of
charge.
The ‘one good idea’ team have already been in
contact with ESB ecars, the SEAI and Nissan
Ireland trying to source funding to help aid with
the installation cost that is estimated to be in the
region of €750.
How the school may fund this project and
continue to save money on its energy
costs.
ELECTRICITY & WATER
The ‘one good idea’ team have also come up with
several ways of funding the charge facility long
term. As environmentalists we are critically aware
of where money is being wasted when it comes to
our energy use. We have targeted the school's
outdated lighting and water infrastructure as a way
of making back the initial cost and as a means of
further reducing the school's energy bills going
into the future.
We estimate that the school's antiquated lighting
system is costing almost €8064 per year.
The use of 58w fluorescent tubes is highly
inefficient and costs the school on average €8064
per year (based on 750 58w tubes, 12 hrs a day,
110 days a year, there are other smaller tube sizes
in other rooms also)
If the fluorescent tubes were to be retrofitted for
29w led alternatives the average bill would be for
€4060.
It is hoped that the costs of installing and running
the EV charge point could be made back from the
savings made in lighting and water the school.
Below are some calculations outlining cost
savings.
58ww (64w actual) Standard Fluorescent Tube
64w X 750 (amount of tubes)= 48000 48kw
12 hrs of use per day = 48.5kw X 110 days per
year = 57600 or 570kwh X 14c per unit =€8064
TOTAL COST PER YEAR= €8064.00
The cost of running retrofitted LED tubes are
outlined below.
29w X 750 = 21750 or 22kw
22kw X 12 = 264kw
264kwh X 110 days per year = 29040kwh
290kw X 14 = €4060 Per Year
TOTAL COST OF LED’S €4060
SAVINGS PER YEAR = €4004.00
Cost of LED bulbs= €26 26x750= €19500
€19500/4004 = 4.5 year payback.
At a cost of €6 per tube the traditional tube will
cost €60 over the life time of a €26 LED.
LED retrofit lights last 10 times longer than
fluorescent tubes.
If the initial cost of retrofitting was seen as being
too expensive the project could be broken into 6
different stages by looking at the base areas and
corridors.
There are 122 light tubes in the base areas.
1. The cost of running these per year is €1042.80
122x64= 7808 79kwx12hrs = 948 948x110=
€1042.80
2. If we installed PIR sensors (2 X €80 per base
providing all lights are switched from common
circuit) we could reduce the running time
down to 2hrs per day. This would cost €173
giving an annual saving of €869.
3. If we were to retrofit the base areas with LED
tubes and the PIR sensors the running cost per
year would be €70. An annual saving of
€972.
Cost of retrofit bulbs x 122 = €3172
Payback of 3.2 years and annual saving of
€972 every year after or just fit PIR’s and save
€869.
These are just some ideas to help show that going
green does not mean spending lots of money.
It is envisioned that the savings generated by this
project could be allocated towards other green
initiatives such as the EV charge facility or some
of the other ideas that this committee has
researched that will save the school considerable
money whilst also reducing its carbon footprint
and reducing the effects of climate change.
Why go LED? (Economic benefits, environmental
benefits, LED lights have no mercury or phosphor,
they do not buzz, flicker or need ballasts replaced).
Their life span is ten times that of traditional tubes
therefore being more cost effective in the long run.
A traditional tube has a life span of 3000hrs
compared to an LED which is 30,000 hrs.At a cost
of €6 per tube the traditional tube will cost €60
over the life time of a €26 LE
WATER
Another cost saving initiative would be for
the school to save money on its water bill
and reinvest the savings into our ‘One
Good Idea’.
This could be done by installing timers on
the urinal cisterns in the school, the
projected savings per year would be in the
region of €1582 with a payback time of
1.3 years.
Below are some of the costings for the
water usage for the school based on a cost
of €1.02 per m3 from Fingal County
Council.
6 cisterns feeding toilet urinals.
These flush every 20 minutes using 10L of
water.
Every hour these use 180L.
Every day they use 180x24= 4320L.
4320x365= 1,576,800L Per Year
1,576,800 /1000= 1576.8
1576.8x1.02= Total Cost €1608.33 Per
Year
With Timer Fitted
No Flush at weekends = less 104 days
10hr school day = 3 flushes = 180L per
day
180x135days (ex sat & sun) = 25650L
25650/1000 = 25.65M3
25.65M3 x €1.02 = Total cost per year
= €26.16
OVERALL SAVINGS
1608.33-26.16= €1582.17
Payback period of 1.3 years
*Timers are preferred over inefficient
PIR’s for this example.
Cost of timers supplied &fitted = €2000
So why could Pobalscoil Neasáin and
The Department of Education provide
an EV charge facility ?
We believe that there are a number of benefits to a
school and workplace providing access to an EV
charge facility. We will outline some of these
below.
Workplace charging offers many benefits to
employers and employees. For a project to be
successful, it is important for all stakeholders to
understand these benefits.
Some of the Benefits for Employers are:
 Green School Award
The school is currently trying to achieve a
second green flag for the school under the title
of ‘Energy’. All of the ideas suggested in this
plan are related to this task and all aim to
make the school a flagship model for best
practice when it comes to energy use and
management as well as being environmentally
aware and saving the school money in the
process.

Employee recruitment and retention:
The availability of charging conveys that your
organisation stays on the leading edge of
technological development, even to workers who
don’t drive EV's. And employers that offer
charging may be better positioned to attract and
retain employees who do drive EV's.

Furthering sustainability goals:
The availability of EV charging can be a strong
addition to an organisation’s larger portfolio of
sustainability practices, particularly if the
organisation has existing objectives related to the
environment with greenhouse gas reductions,
and/or transportation emissions reductions and
Green School programmes.

Public Image
Providing workplace charging can help
demonstrate an organisation’s leadership in
supporting cutting-edge, clean transportation
technologies to students, staff, parents and the
surrounding community.
Employee satisfaction
Workplace charging can be moral boosting to your
staff. Employees will likely appreciate that their
employer is proactive in seeking out ways to
enhance their experience at the workplace.
Benefits for Employees

Increased Incentive for EV Ownership
The ability to charge at work may provide the
encouragement and assurance an employee needs
to make the switch from a conventional vehicle to
an EV, and to take advantage of the financial and
environmental benefits of such a switch.

Range security
The opportunity to charge at work can help
alleviate “range anxiety,” a driver’s uncertainty
about the vehicle’s ability to reach a destination
before depleting the battery’s charge.

Thermal Preconditioning
On very hot or cold days, workplace charging
allows EV drivers to achieve a comfortable cabin
temperature and to preheat or precool the battery
while the vehicle is still plugged in. This extends
the vehicle’s range by reducing the climate-control
load on the battery. Preconditioning can also help
extend battery life.

Greater Flexibility
By extending range, workplace charging opens up
options drivers might not otherwise have, making
it easier to manage special circumstances, urgent
trips, and unexpected changes in plans or
schedules, particularly for EV drivers. Workplace
charging also provides flexibility in the location
and timing of charging, which may be helpful for
drivers whose residential charging options are
somewhat limited or inconvenient.
Workplace Charging Scenarios
An analysis of the below information helps to
outline the excellent suitability of schools to our
'One good idea".
Easiest
The employer owns the building and carpark
electricity is accessible, and upgrades are not
needed.
Easy
The employer owns the building and carpark,
electricity is accessible, but upgrades may be
needed
Moderate
The employer leases building space and carpark,
electricity is accessible, but upgrades are needed.
Challenging
The employer leases building space and uses
independently operated parking; electricity is
inaccessible.
WORKPLACE CHARGING MANAGEMENT
AND POLICY PLANNING
It is important for employers that provide
workplace charging to develop a clear internal
policy that governs access, security, usage, and
other issues.

Access to Electric Vehicle Supply
Equipment (EVSE)
Employers providing workplace charging can
maximize the benefits of their investment by
designating EVSE parking spaces for use only by
vehicles that are actively charging. If an employer
adopts such a policy, parking signage should
clearly indicate the requirements. The employer
may decide to limit EVSE use to employees only
or to allow visitor use as well. An employer may
decide to place a daily limit on the amount of time
a given vehicle can occupy a charging space.

Registration and Liability
Some workplace charging programs require users
to register to use the equipment and sign a
standard waiver of liability. A registration form
could include language requiring vehicle owners to
agree that the employer is not responsible for any
costs related to vehicle purchase or repairs or for
any damage to the vehicle that occurs while it is
parked at the charging station. It could also specify
a timeframe within which the employer is
obligated to address maintenance issues with the
charging stations upon notice of the problem.

Hours of Use
An employer may decide to limit EVSE use to
normal business operating hours. If the employer
chooses not to institute such a limitation, it should
decide whether any restrictions (such as pervehicle time limits on charging should be
implemented).

Charging Time Allowance
A charging time may be set that would prevent
any one vehicle from taking up space at the
charging area, in the interest of fairness a one
or two hour time limit may be allotted to each
staff member (or possibly more if it was
required for extenuating circumstances). First
come first served would be the basis, a sign in
sheet will be on the inside of the charging
panel.

Etiquette for EVSE Use
The employer should consider developing a policy
that guides drivers in cases where the number of
EV's exceeds the number of EVSE parking spaces
available. The organisation may encourage drivers
to make room for another EV once they have
finished charging.

Payment for EVSE Use
Employers that provide workplace charging must
decide whether and how employees will pay for
EVSE use. Many existing workplace charging
programs are free for employees. As the market
penetration of EV's expands, providing free
charging may merit reconsideration. However
until ownership levels increase it is worth using
the free charge as an incentive to go electric.
Some employers charge their employees a fee for
using workplace charging equipment. Fees can
help offset capital and operational costs associated
with workplace charging. Fees may also address
issues of fairness, since not all employees can take
advantage of charging. Fees may take the form of
an honesty box, charge-per-use or a monthly or
annual subscription rate and would all be down to
the discretion of school management. If an
employer does decide to institute a payment
system, it is important to develop a fee structure
that doesn’t discourage the use of Ev's.

Administration of EVSE Operation and
Maintenance
Employers that provide workplace charging
should designate the party responsible for
ongoing operation and maintenance issues and
any related costs. For example, in the case of a
damaged cord, the employer’s policies should
clearly indicate which stakeholder should
arrange for the repair and how it will be paid
for.
LOCATION OF THE
CHARGING FACILITY
It is proposed that the area to the rear of the school
be designated as the EV charging area. The
charging box could be located on the wall at the
rear caretakers store room. The 32A (6kw)
charging unit would be located inside a locked
panel box. It would be an untethered unit meaning
that it has no leads, only one connection that the
user may attach their own charging cable to. The
area is suitable for parking two cars that could be
charged alternatively. The small area of grass in
the area could be easily modified to facilitate car
parking (concrete slabs would suffice). The area is
already well lit and is not a hindrance to
pedestrians as the pathway terminates at the
recycle bins. The charging unit would be wall
mounted therefore removing any risk from a
trailing charge cable as there is only access from
one side. Signage and some line marking would
be needed in the area. This location is also close
to the electrical distribution board.
EVSE Site Considerations
The following are some of the site and equipment
issues organisations must consider when installing
EVSE for workplace charging. An employer
should discuss these and any site-specific issues
with its electrical contractor, utility, and EVSE
provider, all of whom should be familiar with
these topics.

Convenience
Locate EVSE and associated EV parking as close
as possible to the electrical service while also
ensuring that spaces are conveniently located for
drivers.

Avoiding Hazards
Cords associated with EVSE should not interfere
with pedestrian traffic or present tripping hazards.
EV charging spaces should not be located near
potentially hazardous areas.