Odense - Denmark
ROSENGÅRDSSKOLEN
Example of tailored heat control
Background
Rosengårdsskolen was upgraded through a national programme set up to improve the energy and environmental performance of municipal buildings, over 1,500 m2.
Originally, the school was divided into six heating zones. However these zones were too few to accommodate the complex occupancy within the buildings, which were being used during the day by children and at night by adult students. Consequently heat was poorly distributed and at times over supplied, leading to low comfort levels and high heating costs.
Building details |
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| Type of building: |
School |
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| Year of construction/ Floor area/ Operating hours: |
Year: 1971 / floor area: 16.253 m² Operating hours: Monday – Friday, 8.00 to 21.30. |
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| Heating and cooling / measures installed |
District heating; no cooling installed. |
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| Energy label/CO2 emissions |
This project was completed under the Danish Government’s Energimærke scheme, which labels the building on a scale of A-M, rather than A-G, used by Display. On this scale Rosengårdsskolen achieved a D rating for Heating, F for electricity consumption, D for water use, and E for overall Environmental Impact. |
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ProjectDescription |
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| Aim |
The purpose of the project was to reduce costs and improve the energy performance of the school. This meant tackling the technical problems preventing the heating system from heating rooms only as and when needed. |
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| Key points |
The 6 existing zones were replaced with a total of 80 zones, each programmed to provide heat according to its unique occupancy requirements. Rather than controlling temperatures by connecting expensive valves to the main heating pipes, it was decided to mount motorised Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs). These are electronically connected to a central computer that uses scheduling software to regulate room temperatures. In this way each zone is heated to 20C only when it is occupied; otherwise the temperature automatically drops to 16C. As a part of the national programme, an energy evaluation is carried out annually, and energy consumption is measured every month. Rosengårdsskolen also runs a communication campaign, complete with posters, which enables the school to promote its energy savings. |
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| Reason for inclusion as Shining Example |
The reason Rosengårdsskolen is considered a ‘Shining Example’ is because it has managed to reduce its energy consumption by nearly one quarter, by implementing straight-forward, cost effective improvements achieving a payback of four years |
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Costs&Benefits |
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| Costs &
funding
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€80,000 was invested, made possible through a grant under the national programme and producing energy savings worth €20,000 each year. |
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| Benefits |
Before the project the school used 1.955 MWh per year corresponding to the key figure of 120 kWh/m². Once the improvements had been completed, this consumption dropped to 1.490 MWh per year, or 92 kWh/m².This represents a reduction in energy consumption of 465 MWh or 24%, which equates to 75.6 tonnes of CO2 saved per year. |
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Partners&Roles |
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| Partnership details |
The conventional approach to improving these types of heating problems is to fit new valves to the main heating pipes. However, through a collaborative approach involving energy consultants from the municipality of Odense, a local energy expert and key school staff, a more efficient and comfortable solution was tailored. |
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Recommendations |
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| Achievements |
The project was implemented without any problems. Once the new system was operational, monitoring was undertaken to validate the savings anticipated. Employees were also surveyed at this stage, and they reported definite improvements in the indoor climate. |
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| Lessons Learned |
Whereas the improvements to the radiators could have involved simply adding on the electronic and motorised components to the existing valves, it was noticed that these old valves were often worn, and so these were replaced as well. This approach meant that only the marginal cost of valve replacement was incurred, rather than the total cost, which would have been the case if these valves were replaced separately at a later date. |
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Useful info |
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| Publications |
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| Websites |
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| Arrangements to visit |
Contact Torben Chr. Andersen |
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