Mr. John Dolan:

The Department welcomes the opportunity to discuss energy in schools and our work on the area to date.
For the past 17 years the planning and building unit within the Department of Education and Skills has been using a process called the DART approach to develop policy, sustainability and energy efficiency in educational buildings. The acronym focuses on four key areas, namely, design, awareness, research andtechnology. The policy is informed by the building unit's professional and technical staff. That is driven by its technical guidance documents, which are updated by continued energy research and development.
In recognising that the programme should be about people and changing behaviours and cultures while delivering services, the approach was developed initially through the four strands of design, awareness, research and technology. The earlier projects researched individual opportunities and tested them locally. Energy saving measures that showed promise were further developed, given trials and monitored in various all-encompassing projects such as that which took place at Gaelscoil an Eiscir Riada, the generic repeat design, and the passive schools programme, an example of which is Coláiste Choilm. Tried and tested successes have been incorporated into standard school design guidance documents for inclusion in all school designs for new extensions and refurbishments.
The current near-zero energy building projects, and monitoring and test results from the passive schools and Coláiste Choilm, will continue to inform the Department's technical guidance documents into the future. These documents set the benchmark for sustainable design in school buildings, with a clear focus on energy efficiency. They are based on solid energy research projects. The Department's policy is supported by a strong research programme which currently has 45 research projects at various stages. It has been demonstrated that all schools designed and built in accordance with the above policy and the technical guidance documents can have an energy performance that is up to twice as efficient as the benchmark for international best practice. All new schools and extensions must achieve a top A3 band building energy rating.
Schools in Ireland, by their nature, present particular limitations from an energy conservation viewpoint. In energy terms, they have relatively short operational hours and do not have building management specialists on site, and energy conservation is not a core function of a school. This means that all the heating, lighting, power, water, security and communication systems, known collectively as the building services, used in schools must be robust, simple, reliable and, where possible, automated. These have all been considered within the energy approach and building designs. All new technologies and approaches are again tested to ensure compatibility with school design and operational requirements.
A hybrid approach is taken with respect to sustainable design in schools based on maximising natural resources and energy efficient technologies. Schools are positioned to maximise gain from the sun during the day for passive solar heating and natural daylight. Passive solar design can save up to 20% during the early morning heating period, and adequate natural daylight, when combined with automated lighting systems in classrooms, can eliminate the need for electrical light for up to 80% of the school's teaching hours. Energy-efficient boilers and individual digital room temperature controls, combined with a strong emphasis on air-tightness testing of the building envelope - which is currently twice as good as Irish building standards - and insulation levels minimise heat requirements. Water usage is minimised through automatic shut-off taps, while local water blending valves are provided to prevent scalding and rainwater recovery is provided for dual-flush toilets.
Over 40% of the research programme features renewable aspects. These renewables include wind generation, solar hot water heating, photovoltaics, heat pumps and biomass systems. Results have varied with respect to the application of renewables in a school environment. Research continues in this area as technologies and economic influences develop. In the interest of sustainability, the potential of renewables should be maximised in school design. However, it is critical that renewable applications are properly suited to the application needs and not just applied for the sake of having a renewable tag on a building. It is also critical that the demand for energy is minimised before investment in renewable energy applications takes place.
The aim of the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2009-2020 is to ensure that by 2020 all public sector buildings with areas over 1,000 sq. m have their energy rating improved to D1 or higher. These principles are supported by the Department of Education and Skills with significant investment through the energy efficiency insulation scheme 2009, the water conservation scheme 2010 and the summer works scheme. Research is progressing on the development of cost-optimal levels of energy improvements which will improve existing schools' energy performance to inform future upgrades.
The sustainability and energy efficiency programme of the Department received further endorsements to its approach when a sample school building, built in 2006, was assessed in 2009 for a building energy rating. These ratings came into being in 2009. The school which was designed and built in accordance with the Department's technical guidance documents from 2004 received a top band rating of A3.
Sustainability awareness in schoolchildren is included in many elements of the energy research programme. It is also provided through a dedicated programme run by the SEAI and also through the An Taisce's green flag programme. There is a strong focus on the provision of practical guidance and direction to schools via the energy and education project. The project was developed in partnership with the SEAI using the energywebsite energyineducation.ie.It provides a one-stop shop based on an energy web portal designed to help school boards of management, principals, teachers, administrators, caretakers, pupils, parents, architects, engineers and contractors to improve energy use practices and to reduce school operating costs, along with helping to protect the environment for future generations.

The website is supported by the Energy in Education pack, which provides practical guidance on managing energy in schools, information on involving pupils in the process, case studies and training opportunities. The delivery of the programme and SEAI training is supported and promoted by the school patrons and management organisations through partnership with the SEAI and the Department of Education and Skills. New buildings owned or occupied by public authorities after 31 Dec 2018 must be near-zero-energy buildings and all new buildings are to be near-zero-energy buildings by 31 Dec 2020, which to a very large extent should be from renewable sources. Research on achieving near-zero-energy building is under way, with two new school extensions at design stage and due to commence construction this year.

The above approach has placed the Department and Education and Skills at the forefront of design with respect to sustainable energy efficiency in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both national and international level by sustainable energy boards for excellence in design specification and energy awareness in schools. The energy research programme was a finalist in the SEAI Legacy awards in 2013.

My colleague Ms Deirdre McDonnell will take the committee through the energy procurement aspect.