Schools

Environmental sustainability

Energy use in schools is increasing and some of this is due to the increased use of technology as well as other initiatives such as extended schools, which keep buildings open for longer.

Along with other trends, such as an increase in the length of journeys to school, this means that the UK school estate now emits around 15 per cent of the UK public sector carbon emissions. Schools therefore need to think about how they can reduce their environmental impact.

The recently published Children’s Plan sets the ambitious goal that all new school buildings should be zero carbon by 2016 in order to contribute to the Government’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions. The aim is also for all schools to be sustainable schools by 2020 and all newly-built schools to reduce carbon emissions by at least 60 per cent. Find out more about sustainable schools on the Teachernet website.

Obviously we are not going to stop using technology in education as it is central to transforming learning and increasing personalisation; however there are things you can do to lessen the environmental impact.

Reducing the environmental impact of technology use

When purchasing new equipment ask about energy use and efficiency. This will include heat output (in order to reduce the need for artificial cooling of ICT suites).

Ensure you use all the power saving settings.

Switch off equipment when it is not being used. However be aware that the increasing need for home access to electronic resources and online learning environments (for instance via learning platforms) means that networking equipment such as servers do need to be on all the time.

Make use of printer controls, for example, by setting printers to print double sided. Consider centralising printers rather than having them distributed around the building.

When designing new buildings avoid the need to have air-conditioning (other than in server rooms) by making use of sophisticated building management systems and natural ventilation.

Think carefully about where to place projectors and electronic whiteboards to avoid window glare so that it isn’t necessary to have the blinds down and the lights on all day.

Consider whether it might be better to have lower power devices - laptops and hand-held computers for instance - spread around the building rather than having fixed ICT suites.

Consider using partial thin client solutions but be aware that these still have some limitations in the educational environment and you will need to increase server capacity.

Think carefully about the disposal of redundant equipment and ensure you are aware of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. Hanging on to old equipment isn’t necessarily good for the environment as old computers and screens use a lot more electricity than new ones.

Using technology to reduce a school’s environmental impact

There are many ways we can use technology to reduce a school’s carbon footprint and other environmental impacts.

Reducing travel

Video conferencing can be used to replace some school visits and for staff training, particularly where the training involves more than one school site or institution.

Area-wide learning platforms mean that students can study at other institutions without always having to travel to the other site. This is particularly important for 14-19 year olds. It also means that these students could study from home for part of the time.

Increased use of electronic resources should mean carrying fewer books, which should encourage more students and staff to travel on foot, cycle or use public transport

Reducing printing costs and paper consumption

Consider the following ways of reducing print and paper consumption:

• Use more electronic resources for learning and teaching.
• Store student’s work electronically - making use of learning platforms and personalised online learning spaces.
• Use email and text messaging to communicate with parents, reducing the number of printed letters sent to the home.
• Reduce the energy needed to heat and light the building.
• Make full use of metering systems and building management systems.
• Make people aware of how much energy they are using.

Further information

There is a Sustainable Schools area on the Teachernet website. This is designed to support schools on their journey to sustainability, introducing the principles of sustainable development and offering guidance on how to embed these principles into the heart of school life.

The Carbon Trust has a lot of advice and support materials for schools to help you to assess your carbon footprint and plan how to reduce it.

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