Energy-efficient school with environmental focus in Storfors

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beST PrACTICe eXAMPLeS enerGY-eFFICIenCY LIP – LOCAL InVeSTMenT PrOGrAMMeS SePTeMber 2008

Photograph: eva wiklund, Municipality of Storfors

energy-efficient school with

environmental focus in Storfors

Vargbro School in Storfors in Värmland is one of the most energy-efficient schools in Sweden. It is largely heated by the people who are in its buildings. Only during cold days in winter holiday periods is there a need to supplement the heating.

Even a small municipality can be a pioneer in energy-efficient technology. With support from the climate investment programme Klimp, the Municipality of Stor-fors in 2006 started building the new Vargbro School, which was able to welcome its almost 300 pupils in January 2008.

The school is highly insulated and is heated for a large part of the year by the people who are present in its buildings. The need to buy in energy is further reduced by solar panels and photovoltaic cells. The project is a good example of how thoroughly considered project planning can lead to buildings with extremely good energy performance.

PositiVE EnVironmEntaL anD Economic imPacts

• Oil consumption has decreased from 23 m3 _{per year to zero, resulting in}

a reduction in emissions of almost 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. • Consumption of district heating has decreased by 1,261 MWh per year. • Consumption of electricity has decreased by around110 MWh per year. • The operating costs are around SEK 1 million lower per year.

swedish EPa Se-106 48 Stockholm. Visiting address: Stockholm – Valhallavägen 195, Östersund – Forskarens väg 5 hus Ub, Kiruna – Kaserngatan 14. Tel: +46 10 698 10 00, fax: +46 10 698 10 99, e-mail: registrator@swedishepa.se Internet: www.swedishepa.se orders Ordertel: +46 8 505 933 40, orderfax: +46 8 505 933 99, e-mail: natur@cm.se Address: CM Gruppen, box 110 93, Se-161 11 bromma. Internet: www.swedishepa.se/publications

information facts

beST PrACTICe eXAMPLeS enerGY-eFFICIenCY LIP – LOCAL InVeSTMenT PrOGrAMMeS SePTeMber 2008 ISbn: 978-91-620-8542-1 imPLEmEntation The new Vargbro School has had to replace seven older buildings that were in poor con-dition. The school, which is 4,150 m2 _{in size, is built with very good insulation and what} is known as hybrid ventilation, which means that the supply air reaches the building through underground culverts, while the exhaust air leaves the building through natu-ral ventilation outlets on the roof. The insulation is so good that a large proportion of the school’s heating comes from the teachers and pupils who are present. The culverts, thanks to their underground location, contribute to heating the air in winter-time and cooling it in summer-time. Solar panels, photovoltaic cells and a wind generator on the roof contribute to further reducing the need for bought-in energy. According to an evaluation by Karlstad University, the consumption of district heat-ing at present is around 35 kWh/m2 _{per year and electricity use is around 28 kWh/m}2 per year. The evaluation also points to certain weaknesses in the system, such as the fact that it takes time and expertise to fine-tune the heating system and then maintain it, and that the culverts have to be kept clean to prevent air quality from deteriorating.

PotEntiaL anD fUtUrE BEnEfit

In most industrialised countries homes and buildings account for around 40 percent of the country’s consumption of energy, and consequently also for an equivalent share of the environmental problems associated with this use. Public premises where large numbers of people congregate – schools, hospitals, public venues – have strict requirements for heat-ing, ventilation and comfort. These requirements often drive energy consumption. It is essential that various kinds of low-energy solutions for buildings such as passive buildings are tested technically and by the users. Measures that lower both energy costs and energy consumption are of global interest for private and public property owners.

whY beST PrACTICe

Vargbro School is an example of best practice demonstrating that even smaller municipalities can design extremely low-energy buildings with a satisfactory indoor climate. The ventilation solution in this project, with a natural ventilation system which largely varies with the number of people who are on the premises, is of particular interest. Schools have widely varying ventilation requirements over the 24 hour period and year. This action also demonstrates good collaboration between client, contractors and evaluator. The action has attracted strong interest in the local media and has attracted a large number of study visits.

FOr FUrTher InFOrMATIOn Contact:

dag hallén,

energy Office Värmland/region Värmland, 054-701 10 95, dag.hallen@regionvarmland.se Jens beiron, department of energy, building and environmental Technology,

Karlstad University, +46 (0)54-700 12 54, jens.beiron@kau.se Olof edén, Municipality of Storfors, 0550-651 51, olof.eden@storfors.se Contractors/providers:

nCC Construction Ab was the general contractor. K-Konsult Arkitekter i Värmland Ab were the architects. Karlstad University and Aton energikonsult Ab contributed with pre-planning.

Granruds Konstruktionsbyrå Ab carried out the building design work.

deLTAte designed the hybrid ventilation. The project on the Internet:

www.storfors.se/energi--miljo/ vargbroskolan---energiskolan.html For further information on best Practice: www.naturvardsverket.se/mir

www.swedishepa.se/bestpractice FACTS

Klimp region Värmland 2004 Action InV28

environmental investment: SeK 15.2m