ISBL

Four quick wins to save energy this winter

Written by Barker Associates | Nov 30, 2022 5:10:31 PM

We are now well into the winter heating season but, despite the support from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, schools are facing huge financial pressures due to rising energy costs.

A recent survey by Barker of over 2000 schools discovered that around 60% of the energy consumed at a typical school is when there are no students in the building.

Making sure your heating systems are set correctly and appliances are turned off can have a huge impact and costs little to implement.

  1. Optimise controls and programmers – ensure time clocks and controls match operational hours. Turn heating systems down to frost protection modes during holidays. Put controls on equipment such as sandwich fridges and water heaters.
  2. Temperature settings – review setting on boilers, air conditioning units, local programmers and thermostats. Minimise the use of temporary heaters where possible. If your school has a Building Management System (BMS) you may need a qualified engineer but this is often money well spent.
  3. IT equipment – Ensure all IT equipment is switched off when not in use (not just put in standby mode) and server rooms are not set below 24degreesC
  4. Lighting – ensure everything is switched off when not in use. Consider a review of operational hours for sports hall and external lighting

For more detailed information, download Barker’s FREE Energy Saving/Shutdown checklist.