New Stirling schools wasting energy, say Stirling Council

Nov 11 2009 by Kaiya Marjoribanks, Stirling Observer Wednesday

NEW high schools in Stirling are continuing to waste energy.

Stirling Council officials say the new PPP schools are still using more than agreed levels of gas and electricity.

But they added that work is underway in a bid to rein in the figures, with a pilot scheme at Stirling High School already reaping the benefits.

Officials told councillors recently: “The PPP contract contains benchmark figures, which estimate the expected level of energy use at each of the schools. Throughout the life of the contract the council and the PPP contractor share the risk that the volume of energy used exceeds this benchmark – or share benefit if use is below it.

“From early on in the operational phase of the project is has been evident that energy usage in the schools has been significantly above the benchmark levels expected.

“Once the position became apparent in the summer of 2008 a joint working group was set up to review usage and to look at ways of reducing energy use.

“Work undertaken by the group has targeted usage at Stirling High School on a pilot basis with a number of efficiency measures introduced and then rolled out to the other schools.

“The work of the group has met with a measure of success and a comparison of the March to May periods in 2008 and 2009 has shown a decrease in the volume of energy use of 17 per cent at Stirling High.

“There is still considerably more work to do and the group will continue to meet to look at and agree further measures to reduce consumption and to ensure lessons being learned at Stirling High are being rolled out across the PPP estate.”