Modern oil condensing boilers slash school energy use
Why?
Existing school buildings are traditionally large consumers of energy, as many school buildings carry the weight of their historic past: most buildings are old and need retrofitting. In Belgium, more than 60% of school buildings were built before 1970, at a time when energy savings and climate protection were not a priority.
To achieve the EU’s goals of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and reaching climate neutrality by 2050, significant efforts are still required. A large school near Brussels serves as a positive example of how buildings can contribute to these objectives through ambitious renovation and energy-efficiency measures.
What?
Fifteen years ago, the school board launched an energy savings program to cut costs. At that time, the school used around 300,000 liters of heating oil annually. Thanks to wall and roof insulation and high-performance windows, this consumption has halved to approximately 140,000 liters.
In the summer of 2018, the school upgraded its heating system, replacing three old oil boilers (2.2 MW) with two 400 kW condensing boilers. The regulation system was overhauled, and all heating pipes in the boiler room were insulated to minimize energy losses.
The next step is to implement an energy accounting system to track consumption. After just three months of operation, energy use dropped by 10%, and the head of the technical department believes a 30% reduction is possible through further adjustments. Investigations into renewable energy options are also ongoing.
Belgium
Outcome
- At this school, using highly efficient oil heating technology along with proper insulation cuts energy use by 80%.
- Excellent example of how school buildings can effectively meet Europe’s energy saving and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.