Energy Efficient Solutions

LED & CFL Light Bulbs 

Replace all of those incandescent bulbs and standard fluorescent lights with more efficient options. Lights will run all day at the school, making them one of the most significant expenses related to powering a school. Standard lights can also produce a lot of heat, increasing cooling costs as well.

Natural Sunlight

Schools about to be built or those facing rehabilitation or remodeling can include design features that maximize the use of natural light. Adding blinds or other window fixtures in classrooms can allow teachers to reduce glare while trading electrical light for natural sunlight. You may even want to consider the inclusion of skylights. Adding skylights in hallways, bathrooms, and other common areas can reduce your need for artificial lighting. They can allow filtered light to enter from above, taking advantage of strong solar exposure areas to reduce overall power consumption.

Motion Sensors

Motion Sensors are inexpensive units that can turn lights on and off in spaces you don’t much use. They will trigger lighting when someone enters and automatically turn the lights back off when there’s no movement for some time, indicating that the room is now empty.

Maintain or repair windows so that they can open to provide ventilation.

Fans

Invest in ceiling fans and window fans to keep air moving in classrooms on days where heat is higher but not overwhelming.

Unblocked Airflow Pathways

Don’t block the airflow around vents. Keep bookcases and other bulky items away from the heating and cooling units so they don’t block and/or absorb the warm (or cool) air that should be coming into the room.

A low-flush toilet (or low-flow toilet or high-efficiency toilet) is a flush toilet that uses significantly less water than a full-flush toilet. Low-flush toilets use 4.8 litres (1.3 US gal; 1.1 imp gal) or less per flush, as opposed to 6 litres (1.6 US gal; 1.3 imp gal) or more. Low-flush toilets include single-flush models and dual-flush toilets, which typically use 1.6 USgpf for the full flush and 1.28 US for a reduced flush.

Automatic Faucets

By fitting percussion taps — or taps that turn off automatically — schools can save significant amount of energy and conserve water.