Press release
Ministers Foley and Ryan launch Schools Energy Retrofit Pathfinder Programme for 2022
Published on
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Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Education, Norma Foley, and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan, today launched a €28 million Schools Energy Retrofit Pathfinder programme that will demonstrate the approach to deep retrofit in the schools’ sector, testing energy efficiency solutions and renewable heat technology.
This government-funded energy retrofit pathfinder programme will target energy use and carbon dioxide emission reduction by 51%, testing deep retrofit and low carbon heating solutions. This 2022 programme will see 5 schools benefiting from a selection of energy efficiency works.
It is jointly funded with a €28 million budget from the Department of Education and Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Planning and Building Unit in the Department of Education with support from Limerick Clare ETB.
Minister Foley said:
“This programme continues to assist the department to identify and test solutions for decarbonised energy efficiency solutions in our schools and to support delivery of the new Climate Action Plan. It is enormously beneficial for the education sector and is paving the way for, and informing, a much larger national schools’ programme for the energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008 as included in the National Development Plan.
“This collaborative programme is facilitating research on a range of typical retrofit options, that has proven the robustness and scalability of renewable solutions within the schools’ sector.”
Minister Ryan said:
"The Schools Pathfinder programme continues to be highly successful in testing retrofit and decarbonisation solutions in schools across the county. The upgrades to these older and inefficient buildings are reducing schools’ energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The upgrades also result in significant savings on energy costs. Young people have been pathfinders in their calls for climate action. I’m delighted that we are demonstrating what can be done in a practical way in our schools, which are at the heart of our communities.”
CEO of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, William Walsh said:
"SEAI continues to support schools with energy efficiency through student workshops, resources (more than 50,000 students per annum) and energy management (1000 schools to date). This allows them to report energy data through our monitoring and reporting system (2,807 schools reporting in 2021).
“During 2021 we are progressing with the deep retrofit and installation of renewable heat in 9 schools, and we plan to continue this work with the 6 schools identified for 2022. The pathfinder programme is providing a template for large scale retrofit of all schools in Ireland, which will be required to help Ireland meet its ambitious national targets.”
The pathfinder programme has retrofitted 41 schools across Ireland to date with work on an additional 9 schools added in 2021 underway. 2022 will see six additional schools undergoing deep retrofit to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B with renewable heating systems. Each school undergoes a comprehensive assessment to ensure that the measures are suitable for that school and will deliver value to both the school and learnings for the national retrofit programme.
The schools for 2022 present a variety of challenges, including building age, archetype and retrofit requirements.
The Department of Education is at the forefront of design with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both national and international level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design and specification.
Schools that are designed and built, in accordance with the department’s schools’ technical guidance documents must achieve an A3 Building Energy Rating and have typically up to 20% higher performance than required by the current Building Regulations, along with 10% of primary energy provided via photovoltaics and infrastructure provision for electric vehicle charging.
All new technologies and approaches are tested to ensure compatibility with school design and operational requirements. Successful and repeatable results are then incorporated into all new school designs and refurbishments.
The department’s technical guidance documents set the benchmark for sustainable design in school buildings with a clear focus on energy efficiency and they are based on solid energy research projects.
The department’s policy is supported by a strong research programme, with 51 research projects at various stages.
The department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland are involved in an energy efficient retrofit pathfinder scheme for schools since 2017. The longer-term outcome of the pathfinder will be to create an accurate and scalable model for energy efficient retrofits of schools across Ireland. A deep energy retrofit programme for schools built prior to 2008 is due to be rolled out as included in the National Development Plan.
The pathfinder programme builds on significant investment by the Department of Education in energy efficiency through the 2009/10 Cavity and Attic Insulation/Water Conservation Scheme and ongoing Summer Works and refurbishment projects.
The schools for the 2022 programme are:
Design teams are being appointed to each school, with deep energy efficiency works to commence from summer 2022. The upgrades target a Building Energy Rating of B, 50% energy efficiency improvement and 51% emissions reduction. The works typically involves upgrades to the building fabric including wall and roof insulation, doors and windows, air tightness improvements, LED lighting and heating upgrades as well as renewable technologies.
The general principles and approach to school selection include schools meeting Energy Monitoring and Reporting requirements and demonstrating a strong and holistic commitment to energy management practices through participation in the Energy in Education Programme. The programme selection also seeks to enable various cross sections of school types and sizes, energy consumption profiles and different elements of construction type and heritage/ conservation requirements where specific learnings are being targeted. The pathfinder programme is thus delivered on broad assessment in line with the above considerations and not on an invitation basis.
SEAI and the Department of Education have also partnered for a number of years on a range of initiatives, collectively called ‘Energy in Education’, to support the improvement of energy efficiency in schools. There is a strong focus on the provision of practical guidance and direction to schools via the Energy in Education project.
The Energy in Education website provides a one-stop shop designed to help school boards of management, principals, teachers, administrators, caretaking staff, pupils, parents, architects, engineers and contractors to improve energy use practice and reduce school operating costs along with helping to protect the environment for future generations. The project also provides energy management training for schools along with an energy assessment from a professional.
In addition, the SEAI schools’ programme works with schools, both students and teachers, to provide curriculum material around the energy retrofit, unlocking the educational benefit to these works. More information is available about the SEAI schools’ programme at the SEAI website.
Upgraded as part of the 2021 Pathfinder programme, Cornafulla National School is a single storey building which was originally constructed in 1983. The school is located in a rural setting approximately 6km south-west of Athlone. The school consists of 14 mainstream classrooms.
The design team for the project under O’Shea Leader and Partners were appointed on the 12th January 2021 and after an extensive consultation, design and tender process, Dominic O’ Connor Limited were appointed as the main contractor on the project on 24 June. The contract was completed in just over 8 weeks and the school reopened on 30 August.
The works from a fabric point of view concentred on the upgrading of the external wall insulation in the building. The original 1983 building was upgraded with external wall insulation and the 2011 extension had a pumped cavity upgrade.
The remaining fabric upgrading including a high level of air tightness improvements around all windows and doors in the building and the replacement of external doors in the building.
As part of the heating upgrade the works involved the removal of the old oil boiler and oil tank, these have been replaced with new low temperature air source heat pumps including buffer tank and new low temperature radiator distribution system. This has resulted in a school having its heating requirement from a renewable source.
To support the renewable heating in the building mechanical ventilation heat recovery units have been fitted to the classrooms.
The building has been fitted with new LED lighting and new building energy management system.