Part 8 of GSE’s “What We Believe” Series:
Are we really making a difference or just “Faking the Carbon Footprint in Schools?”
Unfortunately many schools invest in the extra costs that make it Green but rarely do they harness the benefits. A recent study in the USA found that many schools who have invested significantly in the cause have no reduction in costs, little impact on their own carbon footprint and in fact some increase their daily consumption of energy.
For some schools it becomes a “feel good” process that benefits the students little educationally and does little or nothing for the environment. Schools meet the standards in construction then stop short at making the very important process of behavioural change.
After making the considerable investments to create a green school and goals for a reduced carbon footprint in schools there are further steps to take:
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Metering your energy consumption and collecting the data.
It is important to monitor energy consumption in the most time efficient and reliable way. Technology makes the process of monitoring simple, reliable and immediate.
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Finding and quantifying opportunities to save energy.
The detailed meter data that we collect can be invaluable for helping students to find and quantify energy-saving opportunities. Monitoring processes create learning opportunities for students.
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Targeting the opportunities to save energy
Knowing the peaks and troughs of energy use, the times when we are using it most and least, is invaluable. The school community can target key opportunities for savings through analysing daily usage trends.
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Tracking our progress at saving energy or making new energy.
It is nice to know that we are achieving success, or not doing so, as it motivates us to make behavioural changes and modify our use. Consider publishing and tracking live data transparently.
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Promoting our success!
Authentic communication about progress on the school website, newsletters and daily broadcasts allows us to celebrate our achievements. The success achieved at school can influence behaviours in the home and industry as a role model for the community.
At GSEwe are committed to follow through. Integrity in design and educational practice is very important so that true change and true progress is achieved. Through careful planning and a strategy for follow through, school students of the current generation are well positioned to make a significant impact on energy consumption and the carbon footprint phenomenon. A reduced carbon footprint in schools can contribute in genuine ways to climate targets as well as educational function.
About GSE
Global Services in Education plans and opens international schools for investors, developers and governments, and manages them once they are running. 39 school projects delivered across 16 countries. Management agreements run a minimum of ten years.
The company was founded in 2011 by Greg Parry and Shanna Parry.