European project Educa-RUE: An example of energy efficiency paths in educational buildings

The aim of Educa-RUE project is to improve energy performance in building sector at local level and with particular attention to educational buildings, by promoting the ability of local players to guide and orient initiatives, designed to encourage energy saving by means of specific measures and integrated tools. The project is therefore focused to speed up the implementation of European Directive on Energy Performance in Buildings, EPBD (2002/91/EC), in Member States at local government level and to ensure its operability, within the various national legislations of reference. Educa-RUE lasted 30 months, from January 2008 to June 2010, and involved the following eight partners: for Italy, Provinces of Potenza (project leader), Perugia, Rieti and Palermo; for other Countries, Climate Energy Ltd. Essex and Energy Solutions North West London (UK), Associación Aragonesa de Entidades Locales ASAEL (Spain), Municipality of Prenzlau (Germany). A number of closely interconnected actions were carried on in eight Work Packages (WPs) to face the energy efficiency aspects identified as primary problems by the partners. The project developed a model process, known as ‘‘Educa-RUE method’’, to assess possible policies of intervention on educational buildings, owned or managed by each Partner. In particular the Province of Perugia, leader of WP 2 and 5, provided guide lines and tools in order to: identify the state of the art of EPBD implementation and the main non-technological barriers, which are preventing its application at local level; select, within the Province/area patrimony, the most suitable educational building, to be used as a shining example to develop the following testing phases of the project; carry on an energy check, or audit, of selected buildings, by involving the educational community as user and active participant in the whole process; elaborate an executive project, concerning the description of all the building elements (structure, roof, heating/cooling plants, etc.) which need to be replaced/ improved and the application of an energy/environmental assessment; plan refurbishing interventions for the rest of the school buildings directly managed by each Partner, according to specific priority selection criteria, which represents a guiding and coordinating act for those Administrations directly or indirectly interested in the Project. This paper presents the results obtained by testing and proving Educa-RUE method in different regional areas. Its findings can be extended to other building typologies in order to create a reference model for local planners and responsible.