Belilios Public School is a joint effort among school, government and industry which showcases a role model of overcoming special challenge in implementing retro-commissioning (RCx) works. The project demonstrates the School as a living laboratory. Apart from ordinary practices of RCx such as replacement and fine-tuning of hardware, the project emphasises the educational involvement and influence as a crucial part of RCx. The decentralised air-conditioning system accounts for 60% of the energy consumption in a year while lighting appliances are the second largest energy-consuming equipment in the School. Better controllability and proper usage of electrical appliances would have a positive impact on the energy consumption of these two types of energy-consuming equipment.
Optimising classroom schedule of electrical appliances by implementing an energy management system (EMS) is the key energy saving opportunity to facilitate the controllability and usage of the equipment. With a user-friendly interface and dashboard showing the schedule and real-time conditions such as temperature and humidity, the system allows users to have a better understanding on their electricity consumption habit and make modification accordingly for saving energy and electricity cost. Engagements and trainings with key users of the School were also taken place to familiarise the teachers and students with the EMS and energy saving tips such as optimising the A/C operation under various temperature and humidity conditions. With the help of the system, the behavioral changes of the users in using the electrical appliances resulted in a measured energy saving of 15% under a RCx approach.
In addition, the EMS installed in Belilios Public School has been used by both the teachers and mainly the students as a tool for energy management. The educational impact of influencing and empowering students with knowledge to actively achieve energy savings is significant. This user-oriented approach has proven a proactive integration of technologies and education in schools.
Belilios Public School has used people orientated approach to demonstrate an excellent implementation of RCx, particularly the EMS displays and presents all data in charts in a clear way that all users can access the information to make further analysis and together with training courses and energy saving competition oraganised by the school, encouraging their active participation in energy management. This successful implementation of RCx arouses students’ consciousness of behavioural change and could be established as a blueprint for the next generation of Green Schools.
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