Low Carbon Schools Service
Delivery Plan
FINAL
Walsall Council
Prepared by:
Carol Edmondson, Project Lead
Sponsor:
Pauline Pilkington, Executive Director for Children’s Services
Table of contents
Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 3
Foreword by Chief Executive and Project Sponsor ......................................................................... 5
Foreword by the Carbon Trust ................................................................................................. 6
1.
About this document .................................................................................................... 7
2.
Context .................................................................................................................... 8
2.1
National drivers ................................................................................................. 8
2.2
Local priorities ................................................................................................... 9
2.3
Schools carbon emissions and energy costs ........................................................... 9
2.4
Walsall Council – our work with schools .............................................................. 10
Carbon & Financial Baseline ........................................................................................ 12
3.
3.1
Carbon emissions in our schools ........................................................................ 12
3.2
Schools Energy Performance metrics .................................................................. 14
3.3
The business case – what we could achieve ......................................................... 17
Vision and aims ........................................................................................................ 19
4.
4.1
Our vision ....................................................................................................... 19
4.2
Objectives ....................................................................................................... 19
Delivery Plan ........................................................................................................... 20
5.
5.1
Our service for schools ..................................................................................... 20
5.2
Summary of Carbon/Financial Saving Opportunities ............................................. 21
5.3
Expected outcomes .......................................................................................... 21
5.4
Schools Communications Plan ............................................................................ 22
5.5
Resource Plan .................................................................................................. 23
5.6
Funding plan ................................................................................................... 24
5.7
Monitoring and evaluation ................................................................................. 25
6.
Approach map / GANTT chart ....................................................................................... 26
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................... 30
A1.
Case studies ........................................................................................................ 30
A2.
Identified opportunities ............................................................................................ 38
A3.
Additional data ................................................................................................... 40
Executive Summary
School buildings in England are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions of 4 million tonnes of CO 2
equivalent annually, with a combined energy bill of £543 million, approximately 21% of the total
emissions from the national public sector estate.
The Climate Change Act commits the UK to reducing its emissions of carbon dioxide by 80% by 2050
from 1990 levels. A series of four-year “carbon budgets” sets out some interim steps towards
achieving this goal, including a goal of reducing emissions by 34% by 2020 from 1990 levels.
In 2011, schools in Walsall emitted just over 24,000 tonnes of CO2 which equates to nearly 65% of
Walsall Council’s carbon footprint. The combined energy bill for schools in Walsall in 2011 was £4m.
In its Carbon Management Plan, Walsall Council committed to a carbon reduction target of 30% by
2014 and 40% by 2019. Schools account for nearly 65% of the Council’s carbon footprint and, as
such, will be a vital part of our efforts to reduce local emissions by the same percentage.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) estimates that energy prices will rise by
32% by 2017. This could increase energy costs to our schools by over £1 million. Under the Carbon
Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC), the carbon emissions from our schools
incur a charge of £12 per tonne of CO2 emitted, resulting in an additional liability of £0.29 million per
year for years 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14. It is envisaged that this charge could rise to possibly
£16 or £18 post 2014. The exact increase is still to be determined.
In rolling out our low carbon school service to our whole schools estate over a five year programme,
we could realise energy cost savings of almost £650,000 per year and £48,000 CRC cost savings
that is a 16% saving on schools’ energy costs. This would also deliver a 16% reduction in carbon
emissions, cutting CO2 by almost 4,000 tonnes per year.
Using a variety of Carbon Trust resources we will take schools through solutions, the majority of
which have been implemented in our pilot programme and provide opportunities for savings. So far
savings in the region of 16% have been achieved based purely on behaviour change in the following
activities:
 Active labelling of light
switches
 Switch off lighting when
not required
 Reducing out-of-hours
electrical load
 IT equipment switch-off
 Getting the benefits of
AMR*
 Walk-around energy
audits for all schools
 Heating controls
adjustment
* At this present time not all schools in Walsall have had their AMR’s
replaced by the local authority’s current electricity provider and
therefore support can only be offered to those with the facility.
3
t’s appropriate to mention here that the council does not operate an ‘invest to save’ programme for
schools. If this facility were available significantly greater savings could be achieved. This is borne out
by the results of another local authority on the national pilot programme utilising the invest to save
resource showing savings on energy bills of 30%. Although this is not an option for Walsall at this
present time, mechanical and electrical maintenance projects funded from the Capital Programme will
undoubtedly realise energy saving benefits from boiler replacements, the enhanced insulation of
distribution pipes and flanges, window and roof replacements, and lighting upgrades coming out of
rewiring schemes.
The project team responsible for the schools’ pilot will also deliver the roll out programme, led and
coordinated by the Compliance Reduction Officer and supported by the Energy Manager both of
whom sit within Property Services. This core project team also benefits from having the
Environmental Education and Information Officer as part of the team supporting and encouraging
schools to achieve eco school and green flag status – energy being one of the themes.
Schools that have an existing service level agreement for energy will receive this additional support.
In terms of funding, there is no additional financial resource required to undertake this roll out
programme, as it will be conducted from within respective services’ budget.
In addition to the support detailed above, working with other council services, we will offer schools via
signposting the following:



Assistance with school travel plans, bikeability, walk to school campaigns
Countryside Services support and advice on a range of educational activities on sites across
the borough.
Advice on sustainable procurement
Walsall Council’s objective is to reduce total CO2 emissions from our schools by 16% over the fiveyear period from 2012 to 2017. We plan to roll this service out to 25 schools each year over a fiveyear period, so that all schools can benefit from this service. Achieving this 16% target is heavily
dependant upon schools taking up this offer of assistance and ploughing back savings into very much
needed resources.
The Display Energy Certificate (DEC) chart demonstrates the range of performance of our schools.
The majority of schools are rated D and E. Reducing energy consumption by 16% will improve ratings
for each school.
Taking part in the Carbon Trust Collaborative Low Carbon Schools Service programme has received
full support from the Executive Director for Children Services, who is also the project Sponsor, and
member of the Corporate Management Team.
4
Foreword
Schools play a vital role at the heart of local neighbourhoods and communities across Walsall. They
provide a hub for learning, development and play for children and young people, as well as an
example to those living and working in our communities of how buildings can be managed and
services delivered to the highest possible outcomes.
Many of our schools have the opportunity to save both money and carbon – and to demonstrate the
benefits to their local communities. Through our low carbon schools service, Walsall Council will
provide schools with the capacity building, support and guidance that will help them make the best
local decisions about their use of energy. Our aim is to work with all Walsall schools in the coming
five year period to make a real difference to their energy bills and carbon emissions, and to help with
delivery of Walsall Council’s wider Carbon Management Plan to reduce our emissions by 40% by
2019.
Paul Sheehan
Chief Executive
Walsall Council
… and a word from our Sponsor
This year we have taken the opportunity to work with the Carbon Trust and a number of pilot schools
in order to promote good practice in energy saving, thereby reducing carbon emissions and costs.
Over the next 5 years we will to roll out the learning to all Walsall schools thereby providing the
opportunity to schools to implement the developed resources, building capacity for carbon reduction
with schools, pupils and other children’s services staff. We will demonstrate tangible energy savings
to the schools and continue to build the strong working relationship between the council and schools.
Hopefully we will engage pupils and in turn their families thereby further disseminating good practice
and savings for Walsall families and the wider community.
Pauline Pilkington (CLCSS Project Sponsor)
Executive Director Children’s Services
Walsall Council
5
Foreword
Foreword text from the Carbon Trust to be added once plan approved
6
1.
About this document
This document is a delivery plan for the roll out of a low carbon schools service in Walsall. It
examines the impact of energy use in our schools, both in terms of energy costs to schools and
emissions of carbon dioxide. It then sets out the reductions in costs and emissions that can be
achieved before presenting a plan for delivery of a low carbon schools service which will contribute to
achieving this goal over a five year period to 2017.
This delivery plan has been developed by Walsall Council in partnership with the Carbon Trust. It is
supported by Councillor Christopher Towe (portfolio holder Finance and Personnel), Executive
Director Children’s Services (sponsor), Executive Director Resources, Executive Director Social Care
and Inclusion, Executive Director Regeneration and Executive Director Neighbourhoods.
7
2.
Context
2.1
National drivers
This section summarises the key national drivers influencing energy and carbon reduction in schools.
Environmental drivers
The Climate Change Act commits the UK to reducing its emissions of carbon dioxide by 80% by 2050
from 1990 levels. A series of four-year “carbon budgets” sets out some interim steps towards
achieving this goal, including a goal of reducing emissions by 34% by 2020 from 1990 levels.
Under the EU Energy Saving Directive, the UK is committed to take action to reduce energy
consumption through energy efficiency; within this Directive there is also a commitment for the public
sector to “lead by example”.
Financial drivers
There is a significant drive from Government to cut costs within the public sector. The schools sector
has already seen a significant reduction in the amount of capital available for school building and
refurbishment. That said, new sources of funding for investment are being provided nationally, such
as Feed-in Tariffs, the Renewable Heat Incentive and invest to save schemes.
Educational drivers
The Government is committed to sustainable development and the importance of preparing young
people for the future. It wants schools to make their own judgments on how sustainable development
should be reflected in their ethos, day-to-day operations and through education for sustainable
development, with a belief that schools perform better when they take responsibility for their own
improvement.
The Government’s White Paper, The Importance of Teaching, will free teachers from unnecessary
statutory duties, creating more opportunities for different routes to learning, including learning outside
the classroom, which can support educational attainment across the curriculum. The Natural
Environment White Paper identifies that:
“The study of science and geography ignites pupils’ curiosity about the world around them. They
discover how scientific ideas contribute to technological change and improve quality of life. They
recognise how human activity and natural processes can lead to changes in the environment, and
engage with scientific debates, addressing important issues such as climate change. “
To help schools with their sustainable development policies, the Department for Education supports
the Carbon Trust’s Collaborative Low Carbon Schools Service. The Department also supports other
public sector and voluntary organisation initiatives, including the Sustainable Schools Alliance (SSA),
led by the National Children’s Bureau and Sustainability and Environmental Education and EcoSchools, through its delivery partner Keep Britain Tidy in England. Opportunities for co-ordinated
delivery across these initiatives are therefore encouraged.
The move to greater school autonomy – through Academies and Free Schools – changes the
relationship between Walsall Council and schools in the area.
8
2.2
Local priorities
In its carbon management plan, Walsall Council committed to a carbon reduction target of 30% by
2014 and 40% by 2019. Schools account for nearly 65% of the Council’s carbon footprint and, as
such, will be a vital part of our efforts to reduce local emissions.
Delivering services efficiently is vital to Walsall Council and opportunities for cost reductions in both
the short and long term need to be identified. Action to reduce energy use and carbon emissions can
help to deliver savings to the energy bill and Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency
Scheme costs to our schools. Energy prices are continually rising, and although electricity and gas
consumption can be reduced, the hike in such fuel prices makes it even more important and
imperative do all we can to effect a greater level of cost avoidance than if the schools were to carry
on with a ‘business as usual’ attitude and mindset.
By encouraging our schools to be low carbon and sustainable in their operations – and to make links
to the curriculum around climate change and carbon emissions – Walsall Council can help local
children and young people to better understand the impacts of all of our actions and be inspired to
live sustainable lives, both at school and in the home.
Our low carbon schools service is wider than energy and includes the work our road safety team do
assisting schools in their schools travel initiative. The aims of this initiative are to:








Reduce car use on the journey to school by pupils, staff and parents
Improve health and fitness by encouraging cycling and walking
Improve safety on the journey to school
Reduce congestion outside schools
Reduce atmospheric pollution in the local environment and reduce asthma and other related
illnesses
Increase children’s social interaction and their independence
national campaigns such as walk to school month
Bikeability cycle training
Our Countryside Services team also work proactively with schools.
2.3
Schools carbon emissions and energy costs
National emissions and costs
School buildings in England are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions of 4.1 million tonnes of
CO2 equivalent annually, with a combined energy bill of £543 million1, approximately 21% of the total
emissions from the national public sector estate.
1
source: “Cross Cutting Review of Low Carbon Potential in the Public Sector – Peer Review Copy Final Report”,
DECC/Carbon Trust, 18/11/09
9
Emissions from energy use in schools have risen by 24% since 19902. There has been a distinct rise
in electricity emissions during this time (and particularly since 2002). This is, in part, due to the
increase in the amount of ICT in school buildings, although lighting remains the major electrical load.
Emissions associated with electricity have increased by 31% since 19902.
The way we use our schools has changed significantly in this period. In particular, schools are now
open for longer hours – generally 8am – 6pm every weekday during term time and more often in the
evenings, at weekends and during holiday periods for community use. Even allowing for this, there
has still been a significant rise in emissions.
Emissions associated with travel to and from school by pupils and staff, and the embodied emissions
in products and services purchased by schools, are excluded from this low carbon schools service
proposal. However, their impact is significant (a further 3.2 million tonnes of CO 2 equivalent2) and
future opportunities to tackle such emissions should be encouraged.
Local emissions and costs
In 2011, schools in Walsall emitted 24,469 tonnes of CO2. This equates to 64.6% of Walsall Council’s
carbon footprint.
The combined energy bill for schools in Walsall in 2011 was £3,899,157.
Section 3 – Carbon & Financial Baseline – explores the costs and carbon emissions associated with
energy use in Walsall schools in more detail.
Walsall Council – our work with schools
2.4
Over a number of years, the Council has worked with schools on numerous awareness raising
campaigns and initiatives such as:






Schools Turnkey Energy Programme (STEP) seminars
Energy Awareness Training to school caretakers
The Green Roadshow
Joint collaboration on Energy Saving Week
Energy Audits and follow-up briefing sessions with headteachers and bursars
Energy and water consumption reports are sent to schools quarterly
Eco Schools
In Walsall, 58 schools are registered as Eco Schools, 6 of which are Green flag schools;
Kings Hill, Darlaston (4th flag)
Castle School, Leamore (3rd flag)
Fibbersley Park, Willenhall
Millfield Primary, Brownhills
Barr Beacon Language College, Aldridge
Sunshine Infants, Blakenall
“Carbon Management Strategy for Schools Sector”, Department for Education, 31/03/10 https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DCSF-00366-2010
2
10
Since September 2010, the Energy topic has been compulsory for all Eco-Schools. This means that
any school applying for their Green Flag Award after 1stJanuary 2011 must demonstrate how they
have tackled Energy as part of their Eco-Schools project work.
Vicky Bloor, Environmental Education officer has been working with the eco schools in the Walsall
borough to raise awareness of energy usage in schools, this includes energy monitoring by regularly
reading meters, students doing energy audits in classrooms and getting schools involved with “Switch
it Off Fortnight”.
Schools are now aware of the importance of their Display Energy Certificate and the need to tackle
the ongoing problem of wasted energy in school.
Collaborative Low Carbon Schools Service
Since May 2011, Walsall Council has been part of the Collaborative Low Carbon Schools Service
programme, delivered by the Carbon Trust with the aim of supporting carbon reduction and resource
efficiency in schools across England. The Council has been one of 43 local authorities participating in
the programme. CLCSS has helped the Council to refresh its approach to driving carbon reductions
across our schools estate, building on our existing experience and demonstrating fast-track practical
opportunities for energy savings. Our workwith the 12 pilot schools during the Autumn Term 2011 has
informed the development of this delivery plan.
11
3.
Carbon and Financial Baseline
This section provides information about the current level of CO2 emissions from schools in Walsall.
3.1
Carbon emissions in our schools
In 2011, schools in Walsall were responsible for 24,469 tonnes of carbon dioxide. The following pie
chart shows the significance of the schools carbon emissions against our total building estate:
Significance of combined school estate carbon emissions
Remainder of LA
Carbon Emissions
13,427 t CO2 / year
(35.4%)
School Carbon
Emissons 24,469 t
CO2 / year (64.6%)
Total LA Carbon Emissions
37,896 t CO2 / year (100.0%)
The following charts show the percentage carbon emissions from the various types of energy used
within our schools. The conversion to cost of energy is influenced by the high kWh cost of electricity
and hence electricity accounts for 55% of energy costs in schools. This programme has a significant
focus on electricity use, where fast track saving can be delivered.
12
Breakdown of combined school estate carbon emissions
Gas Oil (Diesel, 35
sec) 1,008 t CO2 /
year (4.1%)
Electricity 12,078 t
CO2 / year (49.4%)
Natural Gas 11,383 t
CO2 / year (46.5%)
School Carbon Emissons 24,469 t
CO2 / year (100.0%)
Breakdown of combined school estate energy costs
Gas Oil (Diesel, 35
sec) £218,511 (5.6%)
Natural Gas
£1,518,934
(39.0%)
Electricity
£2,161,712
(55.4%)
Combined School Estate
energy cost £3,899,157
(100.0%)
13
Summary Energy Use across our schools estate:
£
kWh
tCO2
Electricity
2,161,712
22,325,302
12,078
Natural Gas
1,518,934
61,999,219
11,383
Gas Oil (Diesel, 35 sec)
218,511
3,649,887
1,008
Total
3,899,157
87,974,408
24,469
3.2
Schools Energy Performance metrics
The energy performance of our schools can be assessed using a variety of metrics. Our schools
performances are represented in the following graphs. Our objective is to work with all of our schools
to improve performances to the red energy performance target indicated.
Financial Metric
The most influential reason to drive school interest is financial £/pupil/year energy cost. The following
graphs show the current spread of £/pupil/year energy costs amongst our primary and secondary
schools respectively.
£/pupil (total energy)
Primary (no pool)
350
£/pupil
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
78 108 29
84
34
24
54 101 76 110 41
45
86
27
69
48
25
55 119 118 36
66
58
77
52
39 106 49
80
56
60 105 102 33 100 35
63 116 97 103 96
42
98 114 26
51
31
46
89
47
59
65
75
93
88
37 104 81
90
91
43
82
72
61
57 117 95
30
21
68
20
22
53
28
62
87
70
23
74
85
67
44
38
71
94
99 115 83
Schools
The national benchmark for primary schools without pools is £39 per pupil per year indicated by the
red line. As the chart shows, five out of the borough’s schools in this category* are below this figure
and some slightly exceeding it while others have some way to go to be brought into line with the
benchmark figure.
*This category includes nurseries and special schools which in the case of special
schools explains the very high £/pupil spend. The reason for their inclusion is that our
pilot included a special school and a nursery and therefore included in the Toolkit to
extrapolate data.
14
£/pupil (total energy)
Secondary (no pool)
160
£/pupil
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
18
12
4
11
15
16
13
7
Schools
The red line indicates the national benchmark within this category of secondary schools without pools
as £60 per pupil. If Walsall schools in all categories over the benchmark figure, with the exception of
special schools, were to reduce their energy consumption to the benchmark level this would be
consistent with Walsall’s carbon reduction target of 30%.
Display Energy Certificate Metric
The spread in energy performance is also illustrated by energy ratings given to schools in their
Display Energy Certificates (these are annual ratings which take account of the school building and
the amount of energy that is used within it; ratings run from A-G with A being the most efficient lowest
energy users). The council will encourage and assist all schools to improve performance to D or less
DEC rating (D represents typical energy performance, operational rating less than 100).
DEC Operational Rating
Primary (no pool)
DEC Operational Rating
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Schools
15
DEC Operational Rating
DEC Operational Rating
Secondary (no pool)
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Schools
Out-of-hours electricity waste
One of the most significant causes of high school energy spend is electrical equipment being left on
unnecessarily overnight. Where night metering is installed we are able to quantify the power
consumed by the equipment that is being left on overnight. The charts below show this for primary
schools and secondary schools:
kW left on overnight
Primary (no pool)
kW left on overnight
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Schools
16
kW left on overnight
kW left on overnight
Secondary (no pool)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Schools
Whilst there will be an out-of-hours electrical consumption for fridges, freezers and IT server hub, it is
typical that schools leave significant electrical load on out-of-hours, overnight, weekends and during
holidays and this represents a key opportunity for simple cost savings. The graphs show the
significant variance between schools. Each kW left on, adds over £350 per year to the school
electricity bill.
3.3
The business case – what we could achieve
Schools, in line with the wider public sector, will need to tackle all opportunities for financial efficiency.
The majority of a school’s budget is for staff costs. Outside of employment, energy often represents
over 15% of controllable costs and is perhaps the most productive issue to deliver fast, low cost
savings for reinvestment in the schools. It will also reduce the exposure and risk from future rising
energy prices; DECC estimates that energy prices will rise by 32%3 by 2017, which could increase
energy costs to our schools by just over £1 million.
Under the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC), the carbon emissions
from our schools incur a charge of £12 per tonne of CO2 emitted, resulting in an additional liability of
£0.29 million per year from 2011/12.
Our recent work with pilot schools under the low carbon schools service has demonstrated that
significant carbon and cost savings can be achieved in our schools. In rolling out our low carbon
school service to our whole schools estate over a five year programme, we could realise energy cost
savings of almost £650,000 per year and £48,000 CRC cost savings, that is a 16% saving on schools’
energy costs. This would also deliver a 16% reduction in carbon emissions, cutting CO2 by almost
4,000 tonnes per year.
Based on Carbon Trust analysis of medium scenario increases from DECC www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/projections.projections.aspx
3
17
This level of savings is represented by the schools performance analyses and supported by the
opportunities demonstrated within our pilot schools (who have so far addressed “no cost” behavioural
opportunities only). The commitment and achievements within our schools are demonstrated in the
Case Studies, Appendix A1.
Although significant additional savings could be achieved through invest to save measures, this is not
currently possible within Walsall due to a lack of suitable budget funds. We do however have
mechanical and electrical maintenance projects funded from the Capital Programme which will
undoubtedly realise energy saving benefits from boiler replacements, the upgrading of insulation to
distribution pipes and flanges, window and roof replacements, and lighting upgrades as a result of
rewiring schemes. This project cannot and does not aim to influence scheduled work, or on which
sites to carry out energy saving measures. We will however share with our design team lessons
learnt from the schools pilot with regard to accessibility of electrical switches to facilitate power down
of projectors and the benefits of fitting more than one light switch for multiple light fitments in a room.
For a lot of our schools this has inhibited the opportunity to implement the active light labelling
measure. Not being able to act on these measures will cost the school dearly in the long term, which
will far outweigh the ‘cheaper’ (on the surface) installation cost.
18
4.
Vision and aims
4.1
Our vision
Walsall Council’s vision is for all of the Borough’s schools to be sustainable schools by 2020, taking
advantage of the cost savings available from sustainable operations and making connections to the
curriculum. The programme could potentially deliver substantial financial savings to the school
budgets and CRC costs.
4.2
Objectives
To help us towards this vision, Walsall Council plans to roll out a low carbon schools service to all of
our schools over the coming five year period.
Our objective is to reduce total CO2 emissions from our schools by 16% over the five year period from
2012 to 2017. This is relative to the council’s overall CO2 emissions reduction target of 30% over the
five years. We aim to achieve this by:


Offering a low carbon schools support service, which is available to all, and which aims to
unlock the 16% carbon savings and particularly focus on behavioural change and low-cost
changes to operational management of schools
Providing dedicated handholding support
Each year, Walsall Council will provide support to 25 additional schools (20% of our 120 schools). We
will also continue to liaise and provide light touch assistance to previous years’ participant schools to
maintain momentum and share best practice.
19
5.
Delivery Plan
This delivery plan outlines what we will do to meet our objectives and targets for carbon reductions in
schools.
5.1
Our service for schools
Walsall Council will offer an energy saving programme for schools, with a holistic approach to
achieving Eco-Schools Green Flag status.
Using a variety of Carbon Trust resources we will take schools through solutions, the majority of
which have been implemented in our pilot programme and provide opportunities for savings. So far
savings in the region of 16% have been achieved based purely on behaviour change in the following
activities:
 Active labelling of light
switches
 Switch off lighting when
not required
 Reducing out-of-hours
electrical load
 IT equipment switch-off
 Getting the benefits of
AMR*
 Walk-around energy
audits for all schools
 Heating controls
adjustment
* At this present time not all schools in Walsall have had their AMR’s
replaced by the local authority’s current electricity provider and
therefore support can only be offered to those with the facility.
Working with other services, we will be offering schools the following service:





Assistance with school travel plans, bikeability, walk to school campaigns
Countryside Services support and advice on a range of educational activities on sites across
the borough.
o Opportunities for site visit to see and learn about log boiler heating system and
sustainable woodland management
o Tailored to cover aspects of carbon management and environmental sustainability
o Activities to pupils or train teachers to deliver
o Participation in a range of conservation tasks
o Signposting
Advice on sustainable procurement
Walk-around energy audits
Training workshops for all schools to help build engagement in the school and to develop
skills in planning and implementing behavioural change campaigns
Walsall Council plans to roll this service out to 25 schools each year over a 5-year period, so that all
schools can benefit from this service.
20
Each school will participate over a one year period, although the programme will also focus on
achieving longer term policies and whole school commitment. The programme will work to embed
good practices and ongoing energy monitoring and performance assessment in the schools. It is
anticipated that the Local Authority will continue to provide a light touch support programme to
encourage sharing of best practice and maintain the momentum.
5.2
Summary of Carbon/Financial Saving Opportunities
Annual Savings
% of
Schools
ID
Opportunity
Type
£
kWh
tCO2
Cost of
Measure
(£)
Payback
Period
(yrs)
1
Active labelling of light switches
Electricity
49,000
495,000
274.3
0
0.0
25.0
2
Switch off lighting when not required
Electricity
177,000
1,810,000
979.6
0
0.0
87.5
3
IT equipment switch-off
Electricity
65,000
725,000
368.4
0
0.0
95.0
4
Reducing out-of-hours electrical load
Electricity
79,000
830,000
449.3
0
0.0
100.0
7
Improved heating time control
Fossil Fuel
167,000
6,905,000
1,304.0
0
0.0
75.0
10
Adjustments to heating temperatures
Fossil Fuel
57,000
1,852,000
349.6
0
0.0
Weather compensation control
adjustments
Fossil Fuel
38,000
1,229,000
232.0
0
0.0
25.0
12
36
Replace breakfast club toasters
Electricity
6,000
59,000
31.6
5,000
0.8
12.5
Electricity
376,000
3,919,000
2,103.2
5,000
Fossil Fuel
262,000
9,986,000
1,885.6
0
Total
638,000
13,905,000
3,988.8
5,000
16.4
15.8
16.3
% saving for combined school estate
25.0
See Appendix A2 for an explanation of these opportunities.
Please note that where there is overlap between opportunities the savings are presented on a
declining basis to prevent double accounting.
5.3
Expected outcomes
The service is expected to deliver the following outcomes:

Energy cost savings increasing by £127,600 each year and delivering savings of £638,000 per
annum on completion of the programme. This equates cumulatively to energy cost savings of
£1,914,000 over the five year programme.
21


5.4
Carbon savings increasing by 800 tonnes per year, building to 3,989 tonnes per annum on
completion of the programme. This represents a 16% reduction in carbon emissions from
schools in Walsall.
CRC savings increasing by £9,600 each year, delivering savings of £48,000 per year on
completion of the programme.
Schools Communications Plan
On the suggestion of the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources, the remaining schools’ estate
were sent a letter informing them of the current pilot project, the reason for it and the benefits. Each
school was also provided with their £ per pupil per year spend. This letter also alerted them to the
fact that from March 2012, the plan would be to roll out the programme on a phased basis to the
remainder of the borough’s schools.
Audiences
The target audiences for our low carbon schools service are:

Headteachers – headteachers hold overall responsibility for management of the school and
have a focus on building the school culture and delivering attainment outcomes for pupils. In
order for behaviour change to be effective, it has to be driven and encouraged by the
headteacher.

Bursars – efficient management of resources and making the business case for investment
are the responsibility of bursars or business managers in many of the schools in Walsall.

Site Managers – site managers have day-to-day control of major building systems such as
heating and lighting. They are likely to be key to the sustained delivery of reduced energy
consumption in schools.
Key messages
To encourage schools to take part in future phases of the service, we will use the following
messages:

Good school management can save you up to 16% of your energy costs’ for a typical
secondary school this could be around £9,000 per year; for a primary, around £3,000 per
year. Much of this saving can be achieved without investment through simple operational
changes

Energy is one of the big lines in the school budget. Saving energy saves money, which could
be used to provide much needed resources, and demonstrates that your school is providing
value for money

The steps to good school energy management are easy, and are supportive of attainment in
the curriculum and positioning of your school within the community

Walsall Council Low Carbon Schools Service can give you the help, support and resources
you need to achieve these savings.
22
Communications activities
We will undertake the following communications activities to promote the low carbon schools service:
5.5

Presentations to headteachers and Governors’ forums to keep schools updated on progress

Face-to-face meetings with headteachers and Bursars/Finance Managers at high energy use
schools (calculated based on council data)

Case studies from successful schools (see Appendix A1 examples) will be circulated to other
Walsall schools via the Well for general awareness raising

Telephone follow-up to the letter sent to remainder of the borough’s schools’ estate making
them aware of the pilot programme and roll-out to pull together second tranche.
Resource Plan
This section looks at the people who will be involved with delivering and supporting the low carbon
schools service, and at how the service will be funded.
Delivery team
The low carbon schools service will be delivered by the following officers:
Position and links to other roles within organisation
Carbon Reduction Compliance Officer (CLCSS Project Lead)
Department
CLCSS
Activity
Property
Services
2.5 - 3
days per
week
Property
Services
4 hrs per
week
Education and Information Officer (Waste & Recycling)
 Already works closely with schools on the eco-schools programme
Street Pride
1 day per
week
Communications Officer, Press Officer, Web Team
Resources
1 day per
school
Property
Services
On
request




Co-project lead for Local Authority Carbon Management Programme
(currently undertaking refresh of the CMP)
Responsibility for reporting on the LA’s Green House Gas emissions
Responsible for updating the LA’s Climate Change Strategy and
Action Plan
Sustainability and Carbon Management training to council staff
Energy Manager




Project lead for Carbon Management Programme
CRC collation and reporting
Energy contracts and schools SLAs (with regard to energy)
Energy awareness in schools
Mechanical Engineers
 Already supports schools who have bought into mechanical SLA
agreement with BMS,heating advice and adjustments
23
The project will be coordinated by a core team comprising the Carbon Reduction Compliance Officer
and Education/Information Officer and supported by the Project Sponsor (Executive Director
Children’s Services and member of the Corporate Management Team).
Stakeholder support
As part of the pilot project, a Steering Group was developed which included members of the project
team described above, as well as support and advice to schools from:








One of the pilot schools
Education Walsall, Serco
Finance
Procurement
ICT
Asset Management
Countryside Services
School Travel
This group will initially meet prior to the commencement of the roll out in order to sign post schools to
advice and support from the above teams. However once roll out begins the core energy group will
meet regularly.
For the next phase of the programme, the project team will seek to engage the Lead of the Bursars’
network in the Steering Group, through contact with Children’s Services. We will also work with
Children’s Services to engage Governors with the low carbon schools service. We already have
support from one school Governor who has been briefed as part of the pilot programme in his
capacity as Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources.
In the context of the council’s carbon management programme and carbon reduction plan, schools
have a vital part to play and the head of Property Services who is also the sponsor for the carbon
management programme is fully supportive of the schools project. In fact three members of the
carbon management project team are on the schools project team.
The project team will work to engage stakeholders throughout the local authority and continue to
encourage coordination and links to broader LA school services.
5.6
Funding plan
Day-to-day management of the scheme is undertaken by the Compliance and Energy Team within
Property Services. In addition, supporting schools with environmental and the eco-school process
forms part of the day-to-day role of the Education and Information Officer. It is therefore proposed to
resource this programme from within existing staffing budget.
Whilst this programme will aim to embed good practice and encourage active performance monitoring
and management at a school level, it is proposed to provide an on-going support role to continue to
promote engagement and maintain Local Authority profile. This is envisaged as two half day
visits/support meetings to each of the schools per year.
24
The projected financial savings to the schools are £638,000 per year in energy costs at today’s prices
and £48,000 per year in CRC costs from the programme. The cumulative savings over the five year
plan are £1.9 million. The majority of the savings are from the behavioural focus of this programme.
Combined school energy and CRC costs
On the basis of a 6% escalation of energy prices it is projected that the schools’ annual energy costs
will rise from £4m to nearly £5m over the next five years. The additional CRC costs of £293,630 per
year will increase this to £5m per year. The programme’s projected annual financial savings of
£638,000 will be equivalent to a £740,000 saving in five years’ time, and £788,000 with the additional
CRC saving.
5.7
Monitoring and evaluation
This section outlines a plan for how the low carbon schools service will be monitored.
Walsall Council aims to roll out a low carbon schools service to our 120 schools over the coming five
year period. Each year, the number of schools participating in the programme will be monitored, with
a view to increasing the scale of the programme if required.
Our objective is to reduce total CO2 emissions from the borough’s schools by 16% over the five year
period from 2012-2017. We believe this figure is achievable with total commitment from the schools.
We will monitor annual energy use, carbon emissions and energy costs from all schools in the
borough, as part of our reporting under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.
In addition, schools benefitting from the low carbon schools service will be expected to complete a
school project register (which identifies the potential for savings within their schools), monitor project
implementation and demonstrate actual savings achieved. This will help to monitor actual carbon
savings achieved by these schools; it will be useful given that there may be changes to how the
school building is used (eg further extension of school hours) which may appear to show rising
energy consumption.
The participating schools will provide energy consumption and cost data on an annual basis, which
will assist the authority’s monitoring of schools’ energy consumption to demonstrate the value of the
programme and assist with CRC returns.
To ensure that our activities are as efficient as possible, Walsall Council will also monitor the
effectiveness of communication activities (to identify which methods for recruiting schools are most
effective).
Progress reports will be submitted to the Steering Group on a termly basis for review by the Steering
Group.
An annual report of progress will also be provided to the Steering Group, the Corporate Management
Team and to wider stakeholders.
25
6.
Approach map / GANTT chart
Low Carbon School Service: Phased Roll-out Actions
Actions
Owner/Action By
Description/Notes
Local Authority Team and Planning
Define and agree project team
Sponsor/ Carol
Edmondson
Depending on availability
utilise core pilot project team
Project team planning meeting
Carol Edmondson
End March 2012
Define project programme,
deliverables and dates
Sponsor/ Carol
Edmondson
Will mirror that for Pilot
Programme
Communication and links to
broader LA schools services
Carol Edmondson/
Melanie Lee
Consider Low Carbon Resources
and Service
Carol Edmondson/
Core Project Team
Consider target savings and
objectives
Kwame Alex-Eyitene/
Carol Edmondson
As defined for pilot
programme (wider project
team)
Whole School Approach –
separate out measures
ieLighting, IT Switch off,
Active Light Labelling,
Heating, AMRs
Pro-rata in line with Carbon
Management Plan targets
Schools selection/recruitment and Launch Event
Consider method for schools
selection
Carol Edmondson /
Core Project Team
Prepare communication to schools
(interest raising)
Carol Edmondson /
Mel Lee
Book venue for launch/recruitment
event
Carol Edmondson
Explore pilot school or Serco
hosting event
Tailor launch and agree agenda
Carol Edmondson/
Project Team
Carol Edmondson
By March 2012
Secure speakers and departmental
support
Design and despatch
invites/confirmations
Carol Edmondson/
Core Project Team
26
Schools that have already
expressed an interest in the
roll out and those with high
energy consumption.
Remainder of schools’ estate
Sponsor, Pilot School
(Alumwell Infant and Holy
Trinity), Portfolio Holder for
Finance & Resources
(School Governor).
Departmental support: wider
project team
Electronic Format. Request
weekly meter readings at
beginning and end of each
Actions
Owner/Action By
Description/Notes
week (4-6 weeks’ worth)
from schools that have
signed up for Roll Out
End March/early April 2012
Confirm and follow up on
delegates
Carol Edmondson/
Core Project Team
Complete toolkit & school
performances
Carol Edmondson
March 2012
Prepare school business case
reports
Carol Edmondson
Consider resources to be used,
tailor to LA requirements
Carol Edmondson/
Core Project Team
Pull together welcome packs
to include school
performance indicators. EndMarch 2012
As per pilot with possible
addition of AMRs
Run launch event and school
action planning
Sponsor/ Carol
Edmondson/ Project
Team
April 2012
Prepare team and agree school
support
Carol Edmondson/
Vicky Bloor
Prepare for resources
demonstration workshops
Carol Edmondson/
Core Project Team
At launch event arrange 1-1 followup site visit for walk-around energy
audit and produce report and
recommendations
Carol Edmondson/
Vicky Bloor
Liaison with Property
Services Mechanical
(Heating) Engineers
Develop Heating Resources
presentation. Liaise with
Kwame Alex-Eyitene
Allow 2 hrs for primary and
half-a-day for secondary.
Liaise with schools maintain
momentum/interest
Carol Edmondson and
Vicky Bloor
Follow-up on recommendations from site visits
Assist schools internal
communication and set up of
whole school/eco-school structure
Vicky Bloor
School Assemblies; 1-1 visits
Liaise with school and complete
schools toolkit project register
Carol Edmondson and
Vicky Bloor
Assess implementation and collate
energy savings
Carol Edmondson/
Vicky Bloor/ Kwame
Alex-Eyitene
Carol Edmondson/
Kwame Alex-Eyitene
Schools Support
Liaise with schools and assess
energy bills/AMR to confirm
savings
27
Encourage schools with
Electric AMRs to sign up to
Npower’s Encompass which
will allow them to view data
online.
Actions
Owner/Action By
Description/Notes
Programme savings report to
steering group
Carol Edmondson
Each quarter
Schools sharing and celebration event
Encourage schools to complete
case studies
Carol Edmondson/
Vicky Bloor
Prepare for sharing/celebration
event
Carol Edmondson/
core project team
Book venue, secure speakers,
including case studies
Carol Edmondson and
Vicky Bloor
Invite interest from LA schools
support services
Carol Edmondson
Agree agenda and despatch
invites
Sponsor/ Carol
Edmondson
Prepare event materials and
programme performance feedback
Carol Edmondson/
Core Project Team
Use performance framework
form
Confirm and follow up delegates
Carol Edmondson/
Vicky Bloor
Sponsor/ Carol
Edmondson and
Project Team
Attendance sheet
Run sharing/celebration event
28
Determine whether end of
twelve months with all
schools involved in first year
roll out
Invite pilot school with large
venue to host. Alternative
would be Forest Arts Centre
at a cost of £30/hour.Confirm
in Sponsor’s diary, speakers
to come from pilot schools
Invite wider project team
Promote achievements and
invite Serco representation
GANTT Chart/Programme
2012
Q1
Q2
2013
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
2014
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
2015
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
2016
Q3
Recruitment of
schools*
Authority**
planning
Capacity building
Behaviour
change
Steering Group
meetings
Annual reports
submitted
*
2012 ‘Recruitment of schools’ in Year 1 was conducted in Q4 2011.
** 2012 ‘Authority Planning’ in Year 1 was conducted in Q4 2011.
29
Q4
Q1
Q2
2017
Q3
Q4
APPENDICES
A1.
Case studies

Castle Business & Enterprise College
o Taking control of your heating
o Replace breakfast club toasters

Alumwell Infant School
o Switch off lighting when not required
o Out-of-hours survey

Holy Trinity CE Primary School
o Thermographic Survey / Out-of-hours survey

Barr Beacon School
o Active light labelling
o Lighting
o IT equipment shut-down
o Reducing heating times
o Swimming pool cover
30
CASTLE BUSINESS & ENTERPRISE COLLEGE
Case Study
BACKGROUND
Control panel for
Trend BMS System.
The Display Panel
enables the user to
view and adjust
selected parameter
Castle Business & Enterprise College is an
outstanding 7-19 special school for pupils who have
statements of special educational needs. The
school is designated for pupils with moderate
learning difficulties; however, the majority of pupils
have additional needs, including autism, speech
and language difficulties and some behavioural
issues.
Castle provides education for approximately 130
pupils and operates during normal teaching hours of
8.45am to 3.10pm. The building however may open
as early as 6.30am and close at 6.00pm for
cleaning purposes and extracurricular activities.
Pupils are taught in small classes,
which have teaching assistants, in
teacher. We have 17 classrooms
underway for a further three to
operational by September 2012.
the majority of
addition to the
and plans are
be built and
In January 2009 the school had a whole site
electrical rewire and sensors were fitted to the
lights. Approximately 225 Amps of electricity were
used before the works, which reduced to 84 Amps
after the rewire. This saves the school
approximately £2,896 per year in electricity
charges.
CASE STUDY 1:
TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR
HEATING
By participating in the Carbon Trust Low Carbon
Schools Service, the school was able to benefit
from information gained on ‘optimum start’
procedures with the gas boiler.
CASE STUDY 2:
USE OF DOMESTIC TOASTERS
FOR BREAKFAST CLUB
An electrical load test was carried out on the whole school
site. The report identified a huge rise of 35.6 Amps of
electricity being used between 9.00am and 9.15am.
During this time 13 domestic toasters were used to
provide toast for pupils in breakfast club.
Domestic
toaster used in
breakfast club
SAVINGS
An industrial toaster was purchased and set up in the food
technology classroom. A re-test was carried out and the
electrical consumption dramatically reduced to 10 Amps
during breakfast club. This has enabled the school to save
approximately £6.00 per week in electricity charges (£294
a year).
SAVINGS
Our contracted Walsall Council heating engineer
from Property Services, Russ Langley, was invited
to the school and identified incorrect start and end
times had been set on the heating control. The
heating times have now been reduced by 45
minutes a day. Castle BEC will make savings
of 9% on gas charges,
approximately £324 per year.
amounting
One industrial toaster
replaced 13 domestic toasters
for use in break-fast club
to
31
ALUMWELL INFANT SCHOOL
Active Light Labelling and Switch Off Lighting
When Not Required
BACKGROUND
Alumwell Infant School provides education for 270
children between the ages of 4-7 years. The school
operates during normal teaching hours of 09:00 –
15:15 hours; however the buildings open as early
as 07.00 hrs and close at 18:00 hours for cleaning
purposes, extracurricular activities, after school
meetings (e.g. governors meetings, parents
evenings etc). The lights therefore remain on for
prolonged periods of time. The site consumes
approximately 64,344 kWh at an annual cost of
nearly £6,000. The CO2 emissions from this energy
use equate to 35 tonnes.
It was common for the lights to be left on in our
classrooms throughout the day. In particular, this
was a clear waste when classrooms were
unoccupied and on sunny days when there was
adequate daylight where the lights could have been
switched off. Therefore, Alumwell Infant School
decided to take forward a lighting switch-off
campaign.
Lighting monitors were also tasked to ensure the
appropriate use of blinds to avoid the frequent situation
where lights are left on and blinds are closed. Classes
have also worked together to ensure that windows are
clear from posters and display work which blocks natural
daylight.
The lighting monitors, along with all pupils and staff,
were also made aware of the need to switch lights off
when the classrooms are vacated.
The programme was communicated to all staff and
pupils to ensure that everyone is aware of the method
and that lights should be switched off when there is
adequate natural daylight, or when the room becomes
unoccupied. This was achieved by informing all staff and
pupils in assembly, classrooms and to the Eco Team.
Once everyone is happy with the marked switches, the
stickers will be replaced with indelible red pen.
CASE STUDY METHOD
Pupils were selected to become lighting monitors by
the class teachers. The lighting monitors were
tasked to observe the level of daylight throughout
the school day, and to match this to the use of
lighting within the room. Classrooms benefitting
from multiple light switches were then labelled
appropriately. Where the lighting monitor considers
there to be enough natural daylight to work
comfortably at the desks they ask an adult to switch
off the lights which are labelled, starting with
switches connected lights closest to the windows.
This behaviour is embedded through continued
monitoring.
Typical classroom with lights off
SAVINGS
The results of the active labelling of the lighting
programme showed that some lighting could remain
switched off permanently. It is estimated that this
initiative will save £347 and 2 tCO2 per annum. This
single measure delivers 15% saving in lighting on the
school’s electricity bill.
Karen Bennett, school Business Manager has expressed
her support for the initiative: “this has proved to be an
extremely effective way to reduce electricity
consumption, and will help to involve all pupils and to
maintain the momentum of saving. Pupils and staff are
actively responsible for reducing our school’s carbon
footprint”.
Typical classroom where lights have
been left on unnecessarily
32
ALUMWELL INFANT SCHOOL
Out-of-hours Survey
Typical equipment found to be left on unnecessarily
were PC monitors and screens, projectors and lights.
BACKGROUND
Alumwell Infant School provides education for 270
children between the ages of 4-7 years. The school
operates during normal teaching hours of 9.00 –
15.15 hours; however the buildings open as early
as 7.00 a.m. and close at 18.00 hours for cleaning
purposes, extracurricular activities, after school
meetings (e.g. governors meetings, parents
evenings etc). The site consumes approximately
64,344 kWh at an annual cost of £5,791. The CO2
emissions from this energy use equate to 35
tonnes.
LABELLING OF EQUIPMENT
A list was created which identified each item, and a
coloured sticker was applied to the switch of each device
using a traffic light coding system:



Of the total annual electrical consumption, 20%
(12.9 kW) of electricity is consumed when the
building is closed. Alumwell Infant School was
surprised at the effect that leaving equipment on
overnight was having on their electricity bill; much of
this was due to unnecessary items such as IT
equipment, fans, hot water and lighting being left
on. The school identified this as one of their key
saving measures that could be improved and
decided to conduct an out-of-hours energy survey in
order to find where this energy was being wasted.
A plan could then be put in place to make sure that
these items remained off out-of-hours in the future.
Green: indicates equipment which should be
switched off when not in use
Amber: highlights equipment which should be
switched off, after ensuring that no-one is using it
Red: Do not touch. This was allocated to equipment
which should not be switched off.
All equipment which had been labelled with a green or
amber sticker was switched off, and the reduced energy
consumption was checked at the meter. This was then
communicated to all staff and pupils to ensure that all
members of the school were aware of the new system
and would then become involved in switching off all
items with green and amber labels. This was achieved
by communicating to all staff and pupils in assembly,
classrooms and to the Eco Team to ensure that
everyone was aware of the method.
Checks have been carried out regularly to ensure that
the overnight energy consumption does not rise above
the best practice level overnight, at weekends and on
closing the school for holidays.
CASE STUDY METHOD
The overnight electricity consumption (kW load)
was calculated by reading the meter to show how
much equipment was being left on out-of-hours.
Following this, the Action Team undertook a survey
of all school rooms, including the plant room and
the exterior of the building to determine which of
this equipment was being left on unnecessarily.
SAVINGS
The school was surprised at the amount of equipment
found left running and on standby. The labelling of
switches and plug sockets has enabled everyone to act
to save. It is estimated that this initiative will save £271
and 1.64 tCO2 per annum. This single measure delivers
nearly 5% saving on the school’s electricity bill.
The school’s external lighting is on a time clock.
After conducting the outside survey the site
manager has since reduced this time by 4 hours!
Karen Bennett, School Business Manager has
expressed her support for the initiative: “This is a simple
initiative to save and the simple labelling of switches and
electrical equipment will continue to remind us and
enable us all to play our part in reducing our out of hours
energy use”.
Equipment
left on
unnecessarily
out of hours.
33
HOLY TRINITY CE PRIMARY SCHOOL
Out-of-Hours Survey
BACKGROUND
Holy Trinity School first opened in 1880, the present
building was opened in 1968 as a Infant School and
in 1995 the school was given permission to grow to
full primary status. By Easter 2000, Holy Trinity had
experienced an extensive building programme and
now provides education for 210 children between
the ages of 4-11 years with 26 nursery places. The
school opens for ‘Fun Club’ at 7.50am, school hours
are 8.55am – 3.20pm and ‘Fun Club’ then continues
until 6.00pm. There are also extra-curricular
activities, after school meetings (eg governors
meeting, parents’ evenings etc).
Current annual Electricity consumption is 47,727
kWh at a cost of £4,343 and annual gas
consumption is 155,923 kWh totalling just over
£4,000. The total energy cost is £8,488 and the CO2
emissions from this energy use equate to 54.4
tonnes.
CASE STUDY
The Purpose of this case study is to reduce heat
and energy loss in school therefore reducing energy
costs. It is also an opportunity to teach children
good habits about sustainability for the future.
THERMOGRAPHIC SURVEY
In February 2011 a Thermographic Survey was
carried out on the school building and heating
system. This is a survey that uses an infra-red
camera to identify energy and heat loss. The
camera detects areas of heat and energy loss
through windows, doors, roofs, walls and pipe work
insulation.
Due to the extensive work carried out on the
building in 2000, this survey showed that there was
very little heat being lost through the fabric of the
building and double glazed units may have better
results as the image below shows.
We then moved on to other areas where we could
save energy and decided to focus initially on
heating and lighting.
OUT OF HOURS SURVEY
On 24 November 2011 at 7.30pm a survey was
carried out of the school to investigate the amount
of equipment left on by school staff over-night. It
revealed the following:




34
In the computer suite, out of the 18 computers
there, seven of these had monitors left on and
five had not been shut down completely.
The photocopier was left on
The library projector was showing a red light,
indicating that it was switched on
The library whiteboard showed a light indicating
that it was switched on




A main cause of heat loss at the school is a door
that is left open at lunchtime to enable pupils to
access the hall. However, this door is regularly left
open after the lunchtime period. Alumwell Nursery
School has solved this problem by purchasing a
‘thermal curtain’ that stops some of the heat
escaping. A visit to Alumwell will be scheduled in
the near future to see this.
The staff-room computer was left switched on
The reception class computer monitor was on
The reception class projector and whiteboard
were both showing lights left on
The Nursery class whiteboard and projector
were switched on
METER READINGS
In addition the thermographer who conducted the
survey has agreed to return to the school to take an
image of the door to show how much heat is being
lost when it is open and will also attach a monetary
value.
We read the electricity meter at the peak of a school
day when all electrical items would be running. This
showed 24 kWh of electrical usage over a one hour
period and this meter will be read on a weekly basis
and the outcome recorded. A smart meter was
installed on 21 December 2011.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The school is conducting an environmental review
that includes the following:
ECO-WARRIORS
The school have employed a team of Eco-Warriors
to monitor lighting and electricity usage. A letter was
sent in November 2011 asking for pupils and
parents to volunteer if they wanted to learn more
about saving energy and helping the environment.
Eight pupils and two parents volunteered. The
headteacher, bursar, Y6 teacher, site manager and
a staff governor are also on the committee. Due to
the amount of activities scheduled for Christmas,
the first meeting was scheduled for 20 January
2012 and the focus of this meeting is heating and
lighting. During this meeting the committee will tour
the school identifying where electricity is being used
and noting, where possible, reductions can be
made. The pupils will then work in teams doing
‘spot checks’ twice a week initially at break times to
ensure that lights are switched off and
doors/windows are closed when the heating is on.










Energy
Litter
Waste/recycling
Water
Transport
Healthy Living
Biodiversity
School Grounds
Global Perspective
Pupil Participation
Energy is the first item on our agenda but as the
project continues the Eco-Committee will discuss all
these elements of sustainability and an action plan
drawn up accordingly.
35
Case Study
BACKGROUND
ACTIVE LIGHT LABELLING
Barr Beacon School, formerly Barr Beacon
Language College (a foundation school) converted
to Academy status half-way through this pilot
programme. The school provides education for
nearly 1,500 children between the ages of 11-18.
Barr Beacon School implemented ‘Active Light
Labelling’ on 24 November 2011. The Eco Warriors
sent an email to all form tutors informing them about
the new ‘policy’ arising out of labelling of lights.
They also went around classrooms and further
explained what the labels were for.
The original school was first built in the 1950s with
an intake of under 500 children. Since then it has
been extended to accommodate the growing
number of children from the surrounding areas.
The Sports Centre was built in late the 1970s and
the pool was added on in the early 1980s. The
most recent addition has been the development of
the old music block into a two storey creative arts
block. Previous to that the 6th Form block was built
in 2007.
Light switches with red
stickers should not be
activated or used unless
at night or where natural
daylight is inadequate.
Through simple observation they have noticed that
all classroom lights which have been labelled are
now switched off. This has given teachers incentive
to conserve energy by opening blinds and doors to
allow natural light to enter. Also corridor lights have
been left off during the day. They have also
witnessed students turning off light switches. This
has clearly demonstrated that this whole school
policy has had a very positive impact on the entire
school.
The school is opened from Monday to Friday from
7am till 7.30pm to facilitate cleaning. The school
has a sports centre which is opened to the
community Monday to Friday till 10pm and from
9am till 6pm on Saturday and 9am till 2pm on a
Sunday (occasionally up till 6pm).
Current annual Electricity consumption is 723,000
kWh at a cost of £67,000 and annual gas
consumption is 1,902,300 kWh totalling £33,000.
The total energy spend is £99,758 and the CO2
emissions from this energy use equate to 740
tonnes.
LIGHTING
A maintenance roll out is now in place to replace
T12 and T8 lamps with high frequency T5s.
MEASURES TO REDUCE
ELECTRIC HEATING
CONSUMPTION
The newly commissioned creative art block which
is electrically heated, is of light-weight construction
with heavy design thought given to the insulation of
the building to minimise heat loss thus keeping
consumption levels lower. The electric heaters
have been fitted with time controls and heating
occupancy detectors.
One-third of external lighting now benefits from time
clocks and times trimmed down. Previously external
lights were on from dusk till dawn. New times are
from 9pm and then on again at 6am.
36
IT EQUIPMENT SHUT-DOWN
SAVINGS
There are 500 computers in the school of which
350, since participation in the schools service
programme, are now powered down from 4.15pm.
The remainder are on a phased shut down: 6:45pm
teaching staff (120 machines), and at 8pm for
admin staff (30 machines).
Previously these
computers had to be manually switched off, relying
on the caretaker to switch off those that had been
left on.
With adjustments to heating times above, totalling
two-and-a-half hours a day, means that during the
heating seating our school should see savings in
our gas bills the region of nearly £5,000 a year.
SWIMMING POOL COVER
Changes to pool cover usage. Previously the pool
cover was only activated at the end of each day.
Now, the cover is not taken off until the pool is used
and once empty is immediately replaced. By doing
this will minimise heat loss in the pool and save in
the region of up to 30% and avoid condensation
build up in the pool hall.
Power up times are: 7am for admin staff, teaching
staff at 7.30am and the rest of the school’s
computers on at 8am to allow for programme
updates.
REDUCING HEATING TIMES
The school’s boilers were previously set to come on
at 7am and off at 7pm in the main school areas.
These times have now been trimmed to go off at
5.30pm. The Sports Centre heating is programmed
to come on from 7am and off at 9pm. Previously the
heating in this area was programmed to shut down
at 10pm.
Swimming Pool cover in
place when pool not in use
37
APPENDICIES
A2.
Identified opportunities
Our Low Carbon School Service will progress the following carbon reduction
opportunities (summarised in section 5.2):

Active labelling of light switches – Lighting in the schools often benefits from
multiple switching and frequently excessive lighting is installed within classrooms.
Significant savings can be delivered by assessing what lights do not need to be
switched on and marking the switches with red dots that mean “do not touch”. The
remaining light switches that are required are labelled with green dots. The whole
school community can then be encouraged to only switch on the green marked
lighting, unless the day is particularly overcast or the pupils/teacher require
increased lighting levels.

IT labelling - The active labelling of all equipment (switches and plugs) so that all
school users know what they can switch off. Red dots mean do not touch, amber
dots means equipment can be switched off after ensuring that no-one is using it,
green dots mean equipment can be switched off when not in use

Reduction of out-of-hours electricity – Whilst schools are increasingly being used
for community activities and extended hours of use the buildings are still closed for a
substantial time, typically 5,000 – 6,000 hours per year. The leaving on of
equipment, services and lighting out-of-hours is the major electricity waste in schools
and conducting regular out-of-hours checks to reduce the equipment left on delivers
substantial savings. An out-of-hours check should be conducted after the school is
vacated to record and switch off all unnecessary electrical equipment. The whole
school community needs to be involved in ensuring active switch off at the end of the
day and regular checking of out-of-hours use should be encouraged, particularly at
the start of any holiday.

Adjusting heating times – The management of heating is a complex issue and the
recognition that this will benefit by forming a school heating control management
team to involve the premises, business/bursar and administration functions is
important, if control settings are to be optimised to deliver energy savings. A
focussed and systematic approach to time and temperature settings delivers
substantial savings within the schools.
38

Weather compensation control adjustments – Many school heating systems will
include variable temperature heating water circuits (also known as weather
compensated systems). These systems reduce energy consumption by reducing the
water temperature flowing to the heat emitters as the outside air temperature rises.
In more modern systems with condensing boilers, “direct acting” weather
compensation allows the boiler to vary its operating flow water temperature
automatically, to suit weather conditions and the temperatures inside the building.
Weather compensation relies on communication between an internal sensor and one
inside the boiler. The boiler’s water flow temperature is varied accordingly, rather
than the boiler turning on and off which wastes energy.

Replace breakfast club toasters – For schools operating a breakfast club, savings
can be made by replacing multiple individual toasters with an industrial one has
proved to be more efficient (and reduces the incidents of false alarms and fire
evacuations from burning toast!)

Swimming pool covers – Swimming pools lose energy in a variety of ways, but
evaporation is by far the largest source of energy loss. Evaporating water requires
tremendous amounts of energy. Savings of up to 30% can be achieved with the use
of swimming pool covers and avoids condensation.
39
APPENDICIES
A3.

Additional data
Draught-proofing – Many of our school buildings suffer from excessive infiltration
through poorly fitting windows and doors. Heat loss also occurs as a result of doors
leading out to the playground being pinned back for long periods of time even when
the children have returned to lessons. Heat loss can be minimised by fitting PVC
free flow curtains.
Alumwell Nursery
October 2011
PVC curtain Attached to
the inside of the door.
Curtain can be removed
(un-hooked) if not
needed e.g. in warm
weather.
It does not inhibit the
function of the door.
Nursery children have
adapted easily to using it.

Lighting replacements – There remains a substantial amount of old T12 flourescent
lighting and even tungsten filament bulbs in corridors, cupboards and service rooms.
Electrical savings in excess of 50% can be achieved by replacing fluorescent lights
with modern high frequency, mirror reflector, T5, tri phosphor lighting or LED
equivalents. In addition, all remaining tungsten bulbs should be replaced with
compact fluorescent lamps that deliver a saving in the order of 80%.
40

Automatic Lighting controls – Automatic lighting controls to switch off lights, when
there is no occupancy are particularly useful in intermittently occupied areas of our
schools, such as sports halls, laboratories, temporary classrooms, etc. In addition,
external lighting benefits from both photo-cell and occupancy sensing. The
installation of lighting controls is well proven as being cost effective within our
schools and significant further savings can be delivered through a roll-out
programme. Store rooms will also benefit from timelag switches.

Lessons Learnt following CLCSS pilot project – Conducting energy walk-round
audits with each school within the pilot programme highlighted the importance of
teams within Property Services working more cohesively together, ie Carbon
Reduction team and electrical design teams. Certain Carbon Trust energy saving
measures could only be partially implemented due to siting of electrical switches for
ceiling projectors and insufficient rocker switches to light fittings. Both teams now
work more closely together and as a result, a re-wire scheme currently taking place
will have the facility to switch individual areas rather than a whole rooms from only
one switch. A red switch shall be incorporated to allow control of light fittings nearest
the window(s). This shall be explained to the teachers that the red switch should
only be turned on as a last resort, if the room did not benefit from enough natural
daylight.

Boiler replacement – Replacing an old inefficient boiler with a modern energy
efficient system can potentially reduce your gas energy consumption, as seen in the
graph below from one of our pilot schools. The figures shown are from three meters,
one of them a new replacement boiler.
800000
700000
600000
500000
2010/11
400000
2011/12
300000
2012/13
200000
100000
0
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
Consumption data below:
41
2010-2011
2011-2012
MONTH
kWh
Costs
kWh
Costs
April
240360
754
233347
407
May
143516
335
106648
192
June
56430
96
58625
103
July
48917
84
51849
91
August
90999
191
52740
92
September
110539
225
75470
162
October
110539
225
75470
162
November
394627
998
223693
583
December
398477
1537
302222
756
January
711951
1557
February
711951
1496
March
466792
1145
3485098
8643
1180064
2548
TOTALS
Consumption Data (Pool Hayes Community School)
42