Energy-saving campaigns are gaining traction in the build-up to World Environment Day on June 5 with one programme being championed for the cause and tried out at a Bangkok school that has achieved success with flying colours.
At the prestigious St Gabriel's all-boys school, steeped in tradition and known for its academic strength, the old buildings come with a downside -- the architects of a bygone era likely did not design them with energy conservation in mind.
The privately run school is huge by any standard, with 5,600 students and hundreds of teachers and staff. It's not surprising that St Gabriel's College, as it is officially named, has to cough up a whopping 1.4 million baht on average each month for its electricity bill.
"Most of the buildings are very old, some are almost 100 years old, which contributes to the high electricity costs," says Apisit Noojit, a science teacher and deputy director overseeing the school's general administration.
The buildings trap heat, requiring the constant running of air-conditioners. Most of the electrics are not compatible with the use of energy-saving light bulbs.
However, the school has managed to slash the power bill, thanks to its participation in the Promoting Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings (PEECB) project in which 12 of the school's old buildings have gone through some physical transformation to accommodate modern-day energy conservation features.
"It didn't take that long before the school began to see some significant changes after joining the project," Mr Apisit says.
The project was implemented by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It receives financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is co-financed by the Thai private and government sectors. The project was introduced in 2011 with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting the use of energy efficient (EE) technologies.
The PEECB's prime objective is to heighten people's awareness of -- and push for action on -- energy efficiency, and the project's targets are commercial buildings. The project also studies and sets an energy efficiency policy framework, devises short- and long-term implementation plans for commercial buildings as well as evaluates and improves policy measures related to energy efficiency in commercial buildings.
"At St Gabriel's, it is our duty to experiment and study in the hope that what we learn can be replicated by other schools, students, parents, even teachers and staff members wanting to do their bit to be energy efficient," Mr Apisit says.
In all, 11 of the 12 school buildings are slated for "energy re-management" under the Energy Conservation and Promotion Act. This requires at least two engineering experts to regularly undertake maintenance to ensure the listed buildings are and will remain energy savers.
Charged with supervising the PEECB project at the school, Mr Apisit joined a training programme as he worked to find out what was sending the electricity bill through the roof. The answer was in the buildings which were badly in need of "modern touches" to make them consume less energy.
All the school's lights were changed to the LED type right away. With further technical support and guidance from the project's engineering expert, Mr Apisit also determined that replacing the old chiller that runs the school's centralised air-conditioning system would be the ultimate energy saving solution.
With help from the parents' association for the procurement of a new chiller, the school installed a brand-new system that is not only energy efficient but also affordable. Although it came with a 9-million baht price tag, it has improved the air-conditioning system and cut the school's electricity bill to about 800,000 baht a month on average. In other words, the investment could be recouped in two years, according to Mr Apisit.
The school also teaches its students about energy saving and lets them see it in action. A so-called "green room" supported by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand has opened to students of all ages to learn about different energy-generation methods, and air-conditioning comparison methods.
The school believes young students need to be educated about energy conservation, the earlier the better.
Patchakorn Mingmongkolmitr, a Mathayom 5 student and a leading member of the school's science club, said the latest international science project that his teacher recommended involved saving water. He is also leading a school team in a competition, which involves doing research on several water-saving measures.
By interviewing Mr Apisit and a water engineer at the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, Patchakorn said he learned that water is also needed for air-conditioning systems, pushing up the electricity bills. Tap water production also requires electricity.
Patchakorn said his parents pay the utility bills and he has never had to worry about it. "Out of class activities enabled me to learn much more about the importance of water, electricity and energy efficiency," he said.
Patchakorn also uses what he has learned in his daily life, such as adjusting the water heater at home to the right temperature.
"A little change in our habits can go a long way for the environment and society in the long run," says.
His team's science project will form part of the final round of a global competition on energy conservation to be held in Hungary in June.
In a 2016 PEECB project evaluation, it was found that St Gabriel's managed to save 387,502 kilowatt hours/year which resulted in a substantial reduction of its carbon footprint by 225 tonnes, or around 1.5 million baht per year.
"A case study on St Gabriel's College found that promoting energy efficiency requires cooperation from all stakeholders: policymakers, teachers, parents, and students", said Pongphat Munkkunk, DEDE's Executive Director of Energy Human Resource Development Bureau.
PEECB has provided a mechanism which gives DEDE the flexibility to lead and experiment with energy efficiency measures, in a bid to create a platform that enables all stakeholders to work together on energy saving.
The project has also developed simulation software, which is available for professionals, to calculate projected energy efficiency in commercial buildings.
Total energy saving from the 12 buildings is estimated at almost 4.4 million kilowatt hours/year, exceeding the initial target of 4.3 million kilowatt hours/year. DEDE is also planning to expand the project after the completion of the five-year implementation plan by enabling commercial buildings to provide energy efficiency information disclosure and certifying commercial buildings that meet energy-saving standards.
"We believe the project will be a great starting point for government and businesses, particularly real estate developers and entrepreneurs renting offices, to proactively put energy efficiency into practice that will lead to sustainable energy savings in the country in the long run," Mr Pongphat said.
A new chiller system has been installed at the school that is not only energy efficient but also affordable.
Schoolboys prepare for class at St Gabriel's College.
The interior of one of the old buildings at St Gabriel's College has been redesigned to let in natural light and is fitted with new light system that saves energy.
Fine architecture from a bygone era defines the interior of a building. photos by Sukhum Preechapanich