Getting ready for winter

As the cold stats to bite, so do heating bills. Hence energy efficiency needs to be designed into both new buildings and existing buildings and systems at schools.

The most cost-effective time to improve energy performance is at the design stage of a new building. Consider energy efficiency in any building project, including an upgrade.

Look at the entire life cycle of products and building systems. You can then make decisions on which heating and cooling systems to use in terms of their whole-of-life cost.

Whole-of-life considers the costs and benefits of getting the best performance, reliability and safety over the life of an asset.

The best value for money might be in a high-performance building ‘envelope’. In this way, energy efficiency is incorporated in every aspect of the building design. The aim is to reduce the need for heating and cooling as much as possible.

GreenStar-rated schools

A number of New Zealand schools now have GreenStar ratings for sustainability. For more information about the programme and a list of accredited professionals, go to the New Zealand Green Building Council website: www.nzgbc.org.nz

Upgrading or converting coal heating systems

Many schools with boilers and central heating use coal. Generally, it’s a relatively cheap energy source. However, because of tougher local emissions standards and concerns about pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, many schools are considering replacing or decommissioning coal boilers. Switching to renewable wood energy may be a cost-effective alternative to coal. Most coal boilers can be converted to burn wood fuel. It tends to be a costeffective option for heating the whole school. Although its costs vary by region, wood fuel has lower ongoing energy costs than natural gas or electricity.

Installing energy / building management systems

Energy or building management systems are information technology (IT) systems and software that can completely automate the energy use of a building. They:

• Switch power to different appliances and areas of a building on and off as needed

• Work with heating, lighting, IT and other energy uses. A number of systems suitable for schools are available. Their upfront costs are quite high, but they can cut energy costs significantly.

An energy manager or auditor can advise you on how long it would take to recoup capital costs through energy savings.

Simple steps to energy efficiency

There are many small, low-cost things you can do to make efficiencies at your school. For example, one important thing is raising awareness, in particular, encouraging people to ‘switch off’. In most schools, heating takes up around half of all energy use. Some tips for increasing efficiency include:

• Ensuring windows and doors close snugly

• Making the most of passive heating by ensuring northfacing windows are clean

• Ensuring you have good insulation and ventilation

• Having a plan to insulate all rooms and double-glaze when you upgrade

• Using blinds to screen out sun in rooms that can overheat.

Information supplied courtesy of: www.education.govt.nz.

To ensu re your bi n get s emp t i ed and t o a vo i d contaminatio n o f rec yc l ing :

Keep items loose

Don’t squash bottles, tins or cans

Put all lids in the rubbish

Make sure everything is clean

We can’t accept:

Plastics numbered 3, 4, 6 & 7

No containers larger than 3L or smaller than 150ml

Soft plastics or any plastic you can scrunch into a ball

Takeaway cups and liquid cartons

Paper smaller than an envelope

Compostable items

Clothes and toys

Nappies

Polystyrene

Pans and foils

Window glass, crockery & light bulbs

Batteries

General rubbish or food.

Repeated contamination may result in withdrawal of your kerbside collection service.