Nottingham school: overnight energy surveys find £5,000+ savings

Customer: A Nottingham secondary school
Sector: Education
Focus: Out-of-hours energy audit

Challenge:

At a large secondary school in Nottingham, higher-than-expected overnight electricity and gas usage was noticed on half-hourly metering/AMR data.

The school wanted to check that all of the heating/lighting settings were correct and that no energy was being wasted at night when the school was shut.

Solution:

Concept Energy Solutions carried out two energy surveys at the school – one during term-time and one during the school holidays.

Following a review of the BMS settings and set points, Concept Energy toured the school on both occasions, noting all equipment that was found to be in operation. This equipment was then divided between “essential” and non-essential” items, allowing for easy switch-off of the non-essential.

Concept Energy also analysed the electrical load measuring usage from the school’s various meters. This allowed the school to identify the fact that the site’s external lighting, which was switched on all night for security, was part of its own energy burden. (Previously, the school had thought the leisure centre next door was responsible for this lighting.)

Outcome:

The school now has better control of its external lighting, which has reduced the overnight baseload by around 30kW over eight hours every night. This one initiative alone translates to more £5,000 in savings in energy bills every year.

Further opportunities for energy saving were also identified by Concept Energy’s energy surveys, with recommendations ranging from improved ventilation control in the gym, through to more efficient use of catering equipment. Collectively, the initiatives have reduced the school’s carbon footprint by over 14%.