Most schools use electrical equipment in science laboratories, and design technology studios. The energy used by these items of apparatus can be significant when added together. 

The easiest way to conserve energy is to use equipment in a way that minimises energy consumption. Usually, equipment is prepared by a technician at the start of the lesson and left on until the session ends. In busy science labs and design technology studios, there is a danger that equipment will be left on all day – and maybe even overnight. It is good practice to assign clear responsibility for switching off equipment after the lesson and encourage staff and students to minimise energy use during lessons. It may be impractical to turn off some measurement equipment for which the accuracy is affected by insufficient ‘warm-up’ time.

Fume cupboards are a significant consumer of energy. Not only do fume cupboards use electrical energy to drive the fan, they also remove warm air from the lab, increasing the need for space heating. A single fume cupboard can cost around £750 a year to run due to the additional heating required to heat incoming replacement air. Simply switching fume cupboards off out of hours can reduce this to under £200 a year.

A few simple procedures can reduce energy use associated with fume cupboards:

• Use the right sash height – a high sash height can increase energy use as well as putting users at risk from the ineffective extraction of fumes

• Do not use the fume cupboard as bench space – use the cupboard for stages of the experiment that present a hazard rather than the entire experiment

• Switch cupboards off when they are empty or not in use and avoid using them to store chemicals. Instead, store chemicals in a dedicated storage cupboard.

During the energy audit, you will look for opportunities to reduce the amount of energy used in the school science labs and design technology workshops. When you have completed your audit you should be able to identify priorities for improvement in these areas of the school, which you can present to the relevant department and school management teams. 

Design a spreadsheet or handwritten results table to record lab and workshop equipment, their location, energy consumption, and usage patterns. 

Data Analysis and Presentation

Conclusion

From your audit of the science laboratories and technology workshops, can you identify how energy efficient you think these departments are? Give your evidence for your conclusion. How can you use the information you have learnt to create an action plan to save energy in these departments? 

Evaluation

Evaluate how you carried out the audit and what could be improved.