Pedagogical activities for energy transition in schools

Proposal

The project arises from the need for a transformative process in our society to mitigate and adapt to the effect of climate change. While proposals to reduce energy use in buildings have typically focused on the physical, technological, or economic aspects of the built environment, more recently, the different European directives relating to the energy performance of buildings argue that the reduction of energy consumption is affected not only by how buildings are designed and constructed, but also by how they are managed and used.

That’s why it is essential to work with the educational community of schools and high schools, in order to involve teachers and students in the improvement of the energy management of buildings.

The aim of the project is to guide and accompany the centers in the implementation of measures in order to seek the optimal use of the spaces and facilitate the integration of habits in the culture of each organization to achieve the needs and comfort conditions of each center with the optimal energy consumption.

Objectives

The project aims to encourage energy savings in schools and high schools based on the application of good practices in the use and management of energy. In addition, it is a very appropriate work strategy to train teachers and students in the efficient management of energy in the educational center and reflect with practice on the concepts of climate change and sustainability.

Approach

Reducing energy use in buildings requires not only changes in the materiality of buildings but must be driven from a broad spectrum of our culture and society (Janda, K. (2011). Buildings don’t use energy, people do!).

From this perspective, the theoretical model used for the development of the definition, content and tools of the project has used the conceptual framework of “Energy Cultures” designed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from different fields such as physics, economics, law, psychology, and sociology (Stephenson, J. (2010). Energy Cultures: A framework for understanding energy behaviors).

From this approach, the educational community resides at the center of the project, and it is in which all aspects directly or indirectly related to energy are collected and classified for study into four sections: beliefs; practices; material aspects; and external factors.

Results

The work is concretized in the accompaniment and dynamization of different activities in 5 schools and in 3 high schools of the municipalities: Sant Pere de Ribes, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and Castelldefels.

Activities include:

Meetings with the community of presentation and closing of the project
Energy itineraries in the centers
Definition of an action plan to improve the energy management of the centers
Exchange between students, janitors, and cleaning staff about what they have learned
Group game-activity