Marino College cuts emissions by 50%

Overview

Established in 1936, Marino College is a second level school  in Fairview, Dublin that strives to create a person-centred approach to learning through a positive, respectful and safe environment. When the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) introduced a pilot scheme to retrofit energy efficiency upgrades across Ireland’s schools, Marino College was one of  two institutions in Dublin to secure funding. The scheme aimed to improve Marino College’s Building Energy Rating (BER)  from E1 to the more efficient B3 band.

High impact energy efficiency upgrades

Marino College partnered with Centrica Business Solutions to implement the measures required to improve its energy efficiency rating. After extensively surveying the site, Centrica Business Solutions designed a package of high impact upgrades that would deliver the required efficiency results, while being suitable for a school environment and requiring minimal ongoing maintenance.

External wall insulation was installed to parts of the building to reduce air leakage, outside noise infiltration and provide cost effective improvements to energy performance. Since the school library was the coldest room in the building, insulation was also added to the flat roof to significantly reduce heat loss and improve occupant comfort. This helped to reduce ongoing maintenance costs, as the poor condition of the previous roof meant that future repairs were expected.

While the school’s previous heating system was functional, it was inefficient and reaching the end of its life. Certain rooms did not reach the required temperature; while system leaks required ongoing, costly repairs. A new, high efficiency heating system was installed, which included more effective controls with faster response times. This means that teachers can now control heating on a room-by-room basis, offering improved flexibility and comfort for staff and students alike.

Lighting accounts for a significant proportion of energy use at Marino College and plays an important role in achieving a comfortable learning environment. By replacing inefficient fluorescent lights with high quality LED lighting, electricity consumption and carbon emissions were significantly reduced, while the appearance of the lighting was also improved.

Underpinning these measures was Centrica Business Solutions’ energy insights solution, consisting of self-powered and non-intrusive Panoramic Power™ wireless sensors that collect real-time energy data and analytics from energy-consuming assets. This provides Marino College with detailed visibility into energy consumption across the school – enabling it to identify additional energy inefficiencies and meet its obligations to monitor and report annual energy use to the SEAI.

Improved learning environment

These energy efficiency measures have improved Marino College’s BER rating from E1 to B3. This corresponds to a 50% reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions. Most importantly, the programme has created an improved and more comfortable learning environment for both staff and students.

Despite unavoidable delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,  all internal works were completed on time through an accelerated timeline, enabling the school to reopen on schedule at the beginning of the new term in September 2020.

The results

• Capture detailed insight and analysis into the school with an end-to-end energy efficiency audit
• Identify opportunities to immediately reduce energy spend, carbon emissions and boost business performance
• Improve management of existing energy infrastructure and find out how new solutions can support your objectives
• Support optimal design, plan and procurement of new solutions to capture the largest cost and carbon savings
• Create an energy efficiency pathway for your business across everything from lighting to on-site generation