Shining Example – in Egaleo (GR) Many Hands Make Light Work as Whole School Skips to Low Energy Beat
Having made a commitment to environmental sustainability, the 9th Primary School in Egaleo has gone on to mainstream the issue by participating in a rich array of related projects:
It is a member of Ecological Schools, an advisory resource administered by the Hellenic Society established to help schools protect the environment
It collaborates with the Italian NGO Legambiente, in its annual ‘Clean up the Mediterranean’ campaign
The School is participating in the Egaleo Municipality’s ‘refurbishment of school gardens’ pilot project
Every year it implements a new environmental project through the Ecological Network of the Aegean University
In 2005 the School implemented a water awareness and conservation project called Water: Source of Life
Beginning in 2004, the school undertook the initiative Rational Use of Energy and Renewable Energy Sources. The project was implemented in collaboration with the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, who awarded the School with the ‘Flag of Ecological Schools’
On the back of such successes, the School joined Display®, and with the support of teachers, parents, and of course the pupils, it set out to achieve the best possible rating for energy consumption primarily by making low-cost, behavioural changes.
In 2005 the School achieved Class A in energy consumption and B in both CO2 emissions and water consumption.
Focus on behavioural change led to numerous practices being adopted, including:
Children drew small labels reminding pupils and staff to switch off lights in empty rooms, to open curtains and switch off lights on sunny days, and open windows and doors to allow natural ventilation. These were posted on classroom doors around the school.
Both the interior and exteriors of the school buildings were painted in light, reflective colours to reduce solar radiation during the summer months.
Savings were achieved at low cost, and with financial support from both local and multi-national businesses.
This Shining Example demonstrates that, even when faced with moderately aged buildings, Class A status can be achieved when a great number of people make modest but sustained changes in their behaviour. However, many of the school’s successes would not have been possible without the explicit support from key decision makers within the municipality.
Furthermore sponsors are keen to support the school as they are confident of its success: everyone likes a winner.
Adopting an approach similar to the one that led to energy savings, this year the new target is to drive water consumption Towards Class A.