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G e n e r a l I n f o r m a t i o n

Leaflet 16
Using solar energy in schools
Solar energy can provide free
natural ventilation, daylight and heat.
Its effective use in refurbishment and
new buildings can:
create a quality interior,
reduce fuel bills, and thus minimise
global environmental impacts.
Passive solar design
Every school will want to achieve a good
and healthy classroom environment in which
pupils can concentrate. For this, it is
essential to have effective ventilation and
lighting all the year round, and heating in the
winter. Schools are also looking for ways to
run themselves more efficiently and save
money. Using energy more efficiently is an
obvious way of doing so.
Nabbotts Junior School showing natural ventilation through a classroom to the atrium
Well known measures, like better insulation
and up to date controls on heating systems, even in the annual maintenance budget. For Moreover, natural ventilation, daylight and
will be familiar to school managers. Less example, a well insulated rooflight can be sunlight (provided thought is given to
familiar is passive solar design which added during roof renewal to bring daylight preventing excessive unwanted solar gain)
exploits daylight, natural ventilation and into the interior of a room and improve are very popular with pupils and teachers.
solar heating. These can be used to save ventilation. Windows which admit excessive Here is how one teacher described her
the school money and to create an attractive solar heat in summer can be shaded with passive solar designed school:
working environment. permanent or moveable external blinds or The moment one walks in through the door
Passive solar design exploits the building's louvres or, if the site allows it, by planting and into the classroom, I enjoy being here. Its
orientation, shape, materials, windows, deciduous trees. not the sort of place that you feel at the end of
internal room arrangement and the external To be successful, passive solar measures the day you want to rush away from. New
landscaping, in combination with other need to be integrated with other energy parents come in and say Oh what a lovely
energy efficiency measures, to create a efficiency measures rather than considered room because it is so nice to be able to look
pleasant working environment which is less in isolation. For example, if lights remain on out. Its a good environment, its good for us
dependent on fossil fuel based energy. and I think its good for the children. Its the
when there is sufficient daylight, or if the
sort of place that I would like to see children
Unlike some energy efficiency measures, for heating is still on when solar gains suffice to
beginning school in. I think that even if we
example, heating or lighting controls, which raise the temperature to its desired level,
were in the centre of a city it would still be the
are renewed periodically, most passive solar then free solar energy does not save energy
same sort of warm friendly environment.
measures, like orientation, are fundamental nor the money it costs. The money could be
Looe Junior School Teacher
to a building and cannot be changed. better spent on other school needs.
Others, like window size, are unlikely to be Surprisingly, such benefits can be achieved
The benefits of passive solar
changed more than once in the life of a within normally accepted cost yardsticks. For
In addition to the obvious economic benefits example, Nabbotts School cost 381/m 2
building, if at all. Schools should therefore
of lower fuel and maintenance bills, reduced compared with the average of 476/m2 for
ensure that their consultants are briefed to
energy consumption, arising from passive primary schools in 1990. Looe School cost
consider passive solar design in their
solar design and energy efficiency 417/m 2 which was close to the national
proposals, along with other energy efficiency
measures, right from the start of any scheme. improvement, has environmental benefits. average for its time of 398/m2. The extra
Fossil fuel combustion is a major source of cost was due to a higher specification
Opportunities for exploitation carbon dioxide emissions, which could because of its exposed cliff top location.
The design of a new extension or new result in significant change to global ETSUs Passive Solar programme, funded by
building offers the greatest scope for climates, and acid emissions to the the DTI, has studied both Looe and Nabbotts
passive solar measures, but there are also atmosphere, which damage vegetation and School. Their results, and those for a school
opportunities in refurbishment schemes, or can cause health problems. refurbishment, are described overleaf.

...Its a good environment; its good for us and


its good for the children

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XAMPLES

ooe Primary School, Cornwall Nabbotts Junior School, Essex


is is a new school for which solar energy The Countys aim of making the best use of its
pplies 25% of the heating. It is built on an prefabricated wall system and its wish to
posed south facing cliff top overlooking the develop the use of courtyards, has been
a, and is well insulated and draught-proofed. cleverly woven together by the designer into a
e design maximises the amount of heat gain design with considerable passive solar
d daylight from the sun by putting classrooms potential, although this was not the original aim.
th large windows on the south side and Two of the low cost rectangular buildings
oakrooms and corridors at the rear along the produced by the wall system were placed
lder north wall. North facing windows for opposite each other to form a courtyard. The
ose areas are avoided by the provision of designer then realised that the school could be
uth facing rooflights. Extra daylight for the enhanced by the simple means of covering the
ck of some classrooms comes from south
courtyard with a transparent roof, thereby
cing light shafts through the roof space.
creating an atrium for use as a play and
reduce overheating from summer sun, the teaching space. Further developing the idea
ge south facing windows are shaded by the around cheap off-the-shelf components, he
ep projection of the eaves of the roof and by incorporated an openable swimming pool cover
ernal venetian blinds. The building also into the roof. The final design, shown in the
ores solar and other heat generated by pupils sketch on the front page, has eight classrooms
d lights within its heavyweight construction facing onto the atrium which teachers can
ternal walls also concrete block), so that it choose to use by opening dividing doors.
sorbs excessive heat in the summer and the
Crookham: the 1960s school was Although the atrium is not heated, it is warmed
armed construction heats the air in the room
refurbished to make it warmer in winter and by direct solar gains and heat from adjacent
er a long period in winter.
cooler in summer classrooms. Not only does this warming of the
Crookham Junior School, Hants atrium mean that it can be used throughout the
This was a Mark I SCOLA prefabricated building year, but also that the natural stack effect of
of the 1960s in need of repair. It had a low level buoyant warm air rising towards the atrium roof
of insulation and draughts (due to badly fitting can be used to ventilate the building. By
doors and windows), louvre windows and also opening the electrically operated roof, the
lack of draught, lobbies. Most of the fabric was warm buoyant air can rise, drawing fresh air
reclad, replaced and insulated. The amount of through classroom windows and ventilating the
glazing was reduced with up to 75% of the building. The covered courtyard provides
upper clerestory windows and 30% of the additional circulation and teaching space. This,
remaining windows replaced with insulation and the open plan teaching bays, make the
panels. All windows were fitted with insulated school popular with the teachers.
shutters and the building was draught proofed.
Apart from passive solar considerations, the
To reduce overheating, fixed external
building has achieved a primary energy
sunshades of plastic netting were added, and
N a satisfactory daylight factor of 2% is still performance of 246 kWh/m 2 for the use of
achieved at the rear of the rooms. Because the the building and atrium during normal
oe Primary School plan: arranged to sunshades also sheltered the facade and so school hours. This compares with the Audit
aximise exposure to solar gains reduced maintenance costs, they were added Commission target of less than 250 kWh/m2 for
verall the building is successful because the to all elevations. North facing classrooms had a good school. Its dual use as a school during
ality created by the passive solar design rooflights added to boost daylight levels and the day and community centre in the evenings,
akes the building very attractive to work introduce sunlight. weekends and holidays means that the
and because its primary energy need is The combination of fabric redesign and building is heated for a longer than normal
0 kWh/m 2, which betters a DFE target of installation of good heating controls has period each day. The atrium is therefore
5 kWh/m 2 and makes it one of the better resulted in a warmer and more comfortable maintained by the heat losses at a higher
rforming low energy schools. The cost at school. Furthermore, when open, the shutters temperature than it would otherwise be, which
17/m 2 was only slightly above average create an inward sloping window reveal which consequently means that it can be used almost
spite high quality roof, windows and finishes. enhances the quality of the daylight. continually throughout the year.

Lessons from these examples


Keep it simple: most of the positive solar exclusion of other needs. For example, reduce electric light use can lead to
benefits in new buildings come from attention whilst a well draught proofed building may increased heat loss unless the rooflights are
o fundamentals such as orientation, form and be very desirable, there must be adequate well draught stripped and triple glazed.
ayout of rooms rather than any special means of ventilation to reduce stuffiness,
Think far and wide: passive solar design
alternative energy devices. It is also important particularly in wet weather. A sensible
has both energy saving and amenity benefits
o make the means of control easy to scheme integrates all measures into a
that last throughout the lifetime of a building
understand and use by staff and pupils. balanced cost-effective package.
and beyond the realms of energy savings. It
ntegrate strategies: to get the most out of Avoid conflicting strategies: different should be remembered, when costing passive
passive solar design it should be intergrated strategies can work on their own but can solar measures, that they may have a value
with other appropriate energy efficiency conflict when brought together. For example, that many other energy efficiency measures
measures such as good insulation, draught a solar shading strategy may require the do not possess. Not only can they improve the
proofing and controls on the heating system. lowering of blinds which can then interfere comfort and energy performance of a school,
with the flow of air from nearby windows they can also enhance the visual quality of
Balance strategies: particular energy needed for ventilation and also reduce classrooms and the character of the teaching
aving features should not be pursued to the daylight. The installation of rooflights to that goes on within them.

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or further copies of this or other Best Practice programme publications please contact BRECSU and ETSU.
or buildings-related projects: Enquiries Bureau, BRECSU, Building Research Establishment, Garston, Watford, WD2 7JR. Tel 0923 664258. Fax 0923 664787.
or industrial projects: Energy Efficiency Enquiries Bureau, ETSU, Harwell, Oxfordshire OX11 0RA. Tel 0235 436747. Telex 83135. Fax 0235 432923. Crown copyright November 1993

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