22. Apr 2009 - Great interest in the topic of energy-efficient schools

Abstract

This topic is obviously of great interest at the moment: over 300 representatives from municipalities and school administration and from the areas of architecture, planning, construction and research came to Biberach in Upper Swabia, Germany, where the 4th Symposium on energy-efficient schools was held on 21 and 22 April 2009. The symposium focussed on the new EnOB research area “Energy-Efficient Schools”, which was introduced with detailed presentations of the first model projects.

more details

The location was the “Gebhard-Müller-Schule” in Biberach, a 3-litre-house school which has been scientifically investigated in detail as an EnOB model project. In this way, the participants were able see at first hand how pleasant it is to work in an energy-efficient, modern educational facility.
The plus-energy schools already planned in Stuttgart and Rostock and the 3-litre-house schools in Overbach, Olbersdorf and Marktoberdorf (all in Germany) were presented in detail. Alongside the model projects in the EnOB research area "Energy-Efficient Schools" which is being supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the Deutsche Energie-Agentur and the Deutsche Bundestiftung Umwelt also presented their support projects in the area of schools. The Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau corporation presented an overview of its current support programmes and conditions.
The school management, the architect and the associated scientific researchers introduced the building concept of the “Gebhard-Müller-Schule”, which hosted the event. Thanks to intensive monitoring and the optimisation of operations in recent years, the school was able to improve its consumption values by a further 30% compared to the first year of operation. An interim survey of students showed above-average marks for the building.

Plus-energy schools

The project teams for the two planned plus-energy schools in Stuttgart and Rostock presented their concepts. The goal of both projects is to further develop innovative technologies which are not yet established in the marketplace in order to improve their practical applicability.

3-litre-house schools

The three 3-litre-house schools presented – namely Science College Overbach, Förderschule Olbersdorf and Gymnasium Marktoberdorf – were of great interest to the planners and municipal representatives present. Particularly noteworthy was the Overbach project, which initially appeared to have stalled but was eventually implemented with intensive cooperation between the client, planners, state support and industrial partners. The school in Olbersdorf combined conservation of a listed building with energy efficiency thanks to the planned 1,900-m² external wall insulation with vacuum insulation panels. The project in Marktoberdorf employs a new approach to tendering using the Success Contracting instrument. Payments to the companies and offices contracted are based solely on the fulfilment of specified energy standards.

Two important issues

Fire protection: Many presentations referred to the fact that fire protection requirements are playing an ever-increasing role in school buildings and have to be considered in detail. The consequences affect the architectural design of atria, for example, right through to requirements for centralised ventilation systems.

Ventilation: The participants were also in agreement regarding the issue of ventilation. Various investigations from Germany and abroad demonstrate that strong build-ups of carbon dioxide can occur in classrooms which are ventilated conventionally using windows, especially in the winter months. A range of technological approaches to providing more fresh air in Germany’s schools are being investigated in the projects presented – for example, ‘supply air’ double windows and centralised ventilation systems with heat recovery. In this case, the construction and economic costs are more important than the technology itself.

The presentation of model projects as part of the “Energy-Efficient Schools” research area on www.enob.info will soon be significantly expanded and the level of detail will gradually be increased.