Energy saving project in Marzahn-Hellersdorf – Three schools serving as models for Berlin

Why save energy in schools?

When it comes to the successful energy transition, the potential of sufficiency, i.e. saving energy, is still massively underestimated. Yet the careful use of resources and the reduction of energy consumption offer the opportunity to significantly lower our demand and thus also reduce the pressure on known conflicts such as the conflict over land use. Schools are the largest consumers of energy in the public sector and offer enormous potential for savings.

Pilot project with exemplary function

The energy-saving project consists of teaching units, practical workshops, and energy monitoring. It was important to the district that the schools receive intensive educational support within the project. All schools in the project therefore received teaching units on energy, climate, and sustainability, thereby raising awareness of environmental issues among students and teachers. In addition, the schools regularly carried out room temperature measurements and other workshops so that students could clearly see the impact of their own actions on consumption. Energy clubs were set up at the schools, giving students the opportunity to feel responsible for the school and implement their own ideas. This makes educational work fun and allows students to experience self-efficacy. In addition, monthly energy monitoring was carried out for the first time at all three schools. The consumption data for heat, electricity, and water was evaluated and compared with the previous year’s figures. The results show both successes and challenges:

– Heat consumption fell by up to 7% in two of the three schools

– Electricity consumption was reduced by 11% (WvS) and 7% (JS)

– Water consumption rose by 19% in one school, indicating possible damage

These regular evaluations highlight the importance of effective energy management – not only for saving energy, but also for quickly identifying and rectifying problems. Some measures in the schools, such as reducing the heating system at night and on weekends, will not be implemented until the next heating period, so further savings are expected.

Call for expansion of the project

The project shows that targeted educational support combined with technical monitoring has a real impact – both on consumption figures and on climate education. Students are actively involved in the projects themselves, which raises their awareness of the issue and gives them a sense of self-efficacy in relation to the energy transition. The Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UfU) is therefore calling for similar projects to be rolled out across all Berlin districts and municipalities in Brandenburg in order to realistically achieve the goal of climate-neutral schools. Such projects are also worthwhile from a financial perspective, as the cost savings achieved by reducing resource consumption exceed the costs incurred in implementing them.

What happens next?

The project will continue in the three Marzahn-Hellersdorf schools in the coming school year – however, funding is only secured until the end of 2025. The aim is to continue the project beyond 2026 and to involve other schools. The collection of consumption data will be further optimized to enable even more efficient monitoring.