A study on the energy performance of school buildings in Taiwan

Abstract

The energy consumption (EC) conditions of 51 universities, 7 high schools, 11 middle schools, and 5 elementary schools were examined in the present study. The energy use intensity (EUI) values of the universities, high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools were 79, 26, 16, and 17kWh/m2/year, respectively. The average energy use per person (EUP) values of the universities, high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools were 1855, 734, 310, and 289kWh/person/year, respectively. Universities serve complex functions; they contain various teaching, research, and testing equipment and rely heavily on air-conditioning to create comfortable indoor spaces. Therefore, universities consume far more energy than middle and elementary schools. The average EC structure of the schools consisted of 93% electricity and 7% fuel and gas. Therefore, electricity should be the principal concern for schools in energy conservation. A considerable difference was observed in the EC conditions of different universities. Particularly, universities centered on academic research and development exhibited a higher EC than did those focused on teaching solely. The average EC of public universities was also higher than that of private universities, and the characteristics of the colleges in the universities significantly influenced EC. A regression model was established to determine the EC of school buildings and observe the correlations between EC-related variables. The results indicated that air-conditioning and lighting were the key factors influencing school building EC. In conclusion, several feasible energy conservation techniques are proposed in the present study. The current findings can guide school authorities in evaluating their EC and determining optimal energy saving conditions.