New Criteria for Green Flag
As part of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive from October 2008 all state schools will be required to display an Energy Certificate (DEC) in some of the buildings in your school (if they have over 1000m2 of floor space) which rates their energy use on a scale of A – G. In response to this, Eco-Schools has teamed up with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Create and BRE who have developed a free preliminary certificate as part of their Sustainable Learning scheme.
Sustainable Learning is designed to help schools prepare for the new European Directive and ENCAMS believes it is good practice for all Eco-Schools applying for a Green Flag to have registered with Sustainable Learning and obtained their preliminary certificate. Therefore schools will be required to submit a copy of their certificate with their Green Flag application form (for schools with less than 1000m2 of floor space it would be seen as good practice to send one in).
Local Authorities are developing Display Energy Certification for their buildings, however this may not be ready by the time you apply for your next Green Flag Award. If that is the case you can generate your own preliminary certificate by following the simple steps below:
Sustainable Learning
Schools registered for Sustainable Learning can download their preliminary A-G Certificate for the school as a whole. This is in the EU Directive DEC style and will give an indication of a school's current rating and how this compares to other schools. The certificates are not compliant with the EU directive but will give an indication of what rating a school can expect.
To get an A-G certificate for your school the following information is required:
• Annual energy use in kWh for all fuels used in the school (e.g. electricity, gas, oil), ideally for the last three years, but at least for the period 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2006.
• Floor area in m2 of the school buildings (if unsure the Local Authority may be able to help with this).
• Any special separately metered areas such as swimming pools, catering facilities, community sports halls – their energy use in kWh and floor area.
Don’t worry if your school’s rating is lower than you expected. Most schools will get either a D or an E rating which is consistent with the official certification process operating from October 2008.The rating has been developed with the median set at the D/E boundary. This will mean that half of all English schools will receive an E or below for their rating.
The methodology and software is still being developed by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). Sustainable Learning will publish further information on its development as things become clearer, so remember to visit the programme's website regularly for updates.
At least be registering for Sustainable Learning now at www.sustainablelearning.info and downloading a DEC style certificate, you will have an indication of your school rating and how this compares to other schools. It will help you prepare for the DEC and will give you an initial indication of how your school is likely to be performing.
