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Student Energy Guardians for Greener School Buildings

Students and staff act as "Energy Guardians," auditing classrooms, adjusting behaviors, and co-designing small improvements to cut energy use and inform building upgrades.

Key People and Partners Involved

  • Students ("Junior Energy Guardians")
  • Teachers
  • Municipality/school owners
  • University/technical partners

Description of the practice

Students take an active role in making their school buildings more energy-efficient by joining trained energy teams. They learn to read energy meters, log indoor temperatures and CO" levels, and spot everyday energy waste"such as devices left on standby or rooms that are overheated. This hands-on training helps them understand how their actions impact energy use and the environment.

Together, the energy teams agree on simple rules around lighting, window use, and thermostat settings. They track progress using a shared dashboard, allowing them to see how small changes can lead to real energy savings. The data they collect also informs school maintenance schedules and helps prioritize quick fixes or small retrofits to improve efficiency.

At a larger scale, municipal building managers and technical experts use the students" data to plan more significant upgrades, such as improving insulation, installing smart controls, or adding renewable energy systems. This collaborative approach not only improves the building"s sustainability but also builds a culture of shared responsibility and environmental awareness throughout the entire school community.

Where it’s being implemented

This link might not lead to content in English language. Use your browser's translate function or automatic captions to explore this resource.

Impact and Results

  • Regular checks on energy use
  • Clear proof that better habits save energy
  • Maintenance work gets done faster thanks to student reports
  • Better teamwork and communication between schools and local authorities
  • Students learn useful basics about how buildings use energy

Implementation Tips and Insights

  • Give student teams a name and clear roles to boost ownership and pride.
  • Begin with easy, no-cost actions that make a quick difference.
  • Track energy and comfort data every week, and share the results visually.
  • Involve building owners and managers from the start to ensure smooth collaboration.

Useful Links and Resources

This link might not lead to content in English language. Use your browser's translate function or automatic captions to explore this resource. Energy@School project overview
https://programme2014-20.interreg-central.eu/Content.Node/ENERGYATSCHOOL.html