5 Ways to Save Energy | Decarb24
In this month’s Decarbonisation2024 video, I share 5 ways to save energy.
Best of all - they are free (or mostly free) to impliment.
Don’t forget to tell what you’re doing to save energy in your school
Simon Geddes
School Building Officer
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Hello! Welcome back to our Decarbonisation series, as we look to be Church Schools who reveal God’s love for His world through how we interact with creation.
In today’s episode, we will be taking a look at five simple steps our schools can take to enhance energy efficiency.
Last time we looked at Genesis chapter 1 – where, after God had created the world and Mankind in his own image, he commissioned us to bring forth life just as he had done. In Genesis chapter 2 we get another view into God creating the world, but this time we see this through the eyes of Mankind to help us understand the relationship we are to have with each other, with the world, and therefore with God.
And this is where God makes it very clear what our relationship with the world – with God’s creation – is to be. In verse 15 it says:
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
And so, a part of how we are to live out our faith in Jesus is to care for and look after the world and the community God has placed us into.
But I know that schools are already stretched for time and budget, and so I have put together a list of five simple tips that can help us be more efficient with our energy use. These are things that a quick to do and are either free or relatively inexpensive to implement. The last one is my favourite one.
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Let’s start with tip number one: check your heating timer - when is it turning on, and when is it turning off.
I was told a story of a school that had recently checked their heating schedule to discover that the heating was turning on every Saturday morning for a dance class that used the hall – a dance class that stopped meeting seven years ago!
Does your heating schedule have any quirks like that? Are you heating a building when nobody’s in? And have you checked if the heating gets turned off turn school holidays?
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Tip number two is similar: when was the last time you checked your heating temperature?
Is your heating set at too high a temperature? If you are fortunate enough to have thermostats in various areas around schools, it’s recommended to set the temperature to 19ºC in occupied areas – classrooms, offices, breakout spaces; and 16ºC in circulation areas – corridors and toilets.
By adjusting your thermostat, you could save around 8% of heating costs.
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Moving on to tip number three: what’s the routine in the kitchen. It’s no surprise that a significant amount of any school’s energy use is in one room: the kitchen. Many schools around the country have found savings in their energy use and budget by adjusting the culture in the kitchen.
Where previously, the kitchen staff would turn the ovens and hobs on straight away when they arrived each morning – by only using these appliances when needed, these schools have saved substantial amounts of energy. What happens in your kitchen? Are appliances turned on and left on – or only turned on when needed? Even simple things, like not keep the fridge open, can have a big impact over the course of a year.
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This leads onto tip number four: start a ‘switch-off’ campaign. Schools can save up to 10% of energy bills just by better managing existing systems and equipment. What devices are left on, or on stand-by, in the classroom? Why not ask pupils to get involved in this one: they are much better at remembering these things than we adults are – they have a lot to teach us!
Something as simple as turning the lights off in a single classroom over lunchtime can save 1 to 2% of a typical primary school’s energy use.
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And finally, tip number five:
I was so fascinated by this one that I had to try it for myself over the Christmas holidays and was surprised at how effective this is.
Wash. Your. Windows.
Research has indicated that windows that have been cleaned on both the inside and outside can increase natural light by up to 40%. Not only does this reduce the need for artificial light - and remember, you can save up to 2% in energy by turning the lights off in a single classroom for an hour – but the solar gains on heating the classroom can reduce your heating costs too. Studies have shown that effective use of solar gains can reduce heating demands by 10-25% in well-insulated buildings.
Maybe it’s time to get those windows and roof lights cleaned up?
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So those are my five tips for this video. Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments what other tips you have to share with me.
I was recently at St Anne’s School in Sale – seeing what their Eco Warriors have been doing to create a more sustainable school – why not watch that video next?
Next time, we’ll be taking a look at ways we can reduce our waste. But let’s end with prayer:
Lord, would you help us as we seek to reduce our energy use – would your Holy Spirit inspire us to do more than we could ever do without you. Would you make us bold in our actions in this. And would you use us to be stewards of this world you have created for us? That we may show our communities that we are your followers because of how we use our resources wisely. Amen.