Energy consumption in elementary and high schools in Taiwan

Abstract

The establishment of energy indicators is a key aspect of promoting energy efficiency in schools worldwide. The enquiry of the present study could prove crucial for Taiwan, which has experienced significant improvement in its educational standards in recent years. This study investigated final energy consumption in 67 senior high schools, 62 junior high schools, and 102 elementary schools in Taiwan, which respectively accounted for 13.8%, 6.9%, and 4.9% of the total number of the schools at their levels. Their energy use intensity (kWh/m2/year) values were 55.8, 22.5, and 20.1, and the values of their energy usage per person (kWh/person/year) were 1163, 469, and 465, respectively. Senior high schools consumed considerably more energy than did elementary and junior high schools because of their comparatively large scale, air-conditioned classrooms, and facilities such as swimming pools, activity centers, and gymnasiums. Compared with their public counterparts, private schools exhibited substantially higher energy use intensity at each educational level, possibly because of their superior learning environments and teaching equipment and greater average number of students per class. The scale of schools was positively correlated to total energy consumption, and learning environments were significantly correlated to energy use intensity. Three multiple regression models were constructed for simple estimation of total energy consumption (kWh/year; toe/year), energy use intensity, and energy use per person in school buildings; statistically significant associations were revealed. This study demonstrated that air conditioning and lighting heavily influence the electricity consumption of school buildings; in addition, several feasible energy-saving techniques are provided for school administrators to evaluate their schools’ energy consumption and achieve greater energy efficiency.