Electrical-energy in schools with a focus on behavioural and efficiency interventions

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Schools are a substantial contributor in South Africa’s constricted energy landscape. Schools also face infrastructure and resource limitations and budgetary pressures. This tension thus creates a need for schools to reduce their effective usage of electricity to save money and reduce their environmental impacts. To help schools reduce these impacts, this study embarked on the understanding of their energy usage. This was done with smart-energy meter data analysis of schools within Stellen- bosch in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The investigation compared the energy intensity of schools in South African with schools worldwide, and then compared South African schools across affluence levels. Usage was predominantly analysed as hourly load profiles for certain times of the year and as aggregate energy usages per day. After investigating the energy usage of the schools and upon the completion of energy audits, interventions were introduced to reduce the energy usage of the schools. The first method of reduction was to implement efficiency interventions with regards to energy-intensive items in the schools. The schools in the sample set were found to have many high-power fluorescent lights that were used in c lassrooms. These lights were then replaced w ith the LED lights with lower power consumption, high power factor and better light quality. A model was created and validated for schools’ usage based on the lighting utilisation in the schools. The second method of reduction included the implementation of behavioural interventions in schools. Periodic reporting based on the energy usage data was presented to schools with the cost and environmental impacts. The energy usage could be reduced through awareness with ongoing and digestible energy reports. As the study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, the energy usage of schools were assessed with the influence of the pandemic’s r estrictions. The change in energy and occupancy changes were evaluated as the pandemic presented the opportunity to measure the differential demand of occupants and buildings’ base loads. With the understanding of schools’ energy usage and the implementation of possible ways of reductions, schools would be in a better position to transition to alternative energy sources. Therefore, this study included the evaluation of a solar PV system at a single school and its impacts on the schools carbon emissions and costs was evaluated. Altogether, the understanding of energy usage; reductions through efficiency and behavioural interventions; and evaluation of solar PV in schools present the foundations to help schools. This could improve their energy efficiency, help schools save electricity costs and reduce their carbon emissionsAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Skole is ’n beduidende bydraer in Suid-Afrika se ingeperkte energie landskap. Skole het ook infrastruktuur en hulpbron beperkings en baie druk op begrotings. Hierdie spanning skep dus ’n nood vir skole om hulle elektrisiteitsverbruik te verminder sodoende om geld te spaar en om hulle omgewingsimpak te verminder. Om die skole van Suid-Afrika te help om hierdie impakte te verminder het hierdie studie begin met die verstaan van hulle energieverbruik. Dit was gedoen met slim energie-meter data analise van skole in Stellenbosch in die Wes-kaap provinsie van Suid-Afrika. Die ondersoek het die vergelyking van energie intensiteite van Suid-Afrikaanse skole teen ander skole werêldwyd behels, verder, was skole in Suid-Afrika vergelyk oor welvaartvlakke. Verbruik was hoofsaaklik geanaliseer as uurlikse las profiele vir sekere tye van die jaar en as saamgevoegde energieverbruik per dag. Na die voltooing van die ondersoek van die energieverbruik van die skole en van energie- oudits was intervensies voorgestel om die verbruik van energie te verminder. Die eerste metode van energievermindering was om effektiweits-intervensies met betrekking tot energie-intensiewe items in skole toe te pas. Die skole in die proefstel het baie hoë-drywing fluoresserende ligte gebruik in klaskamers. Hierdie ligte was vervang met diode ligte met laer drywingsverbruik, ‘n hoë drywingsfaktor en beter beligtingskwaliteit. ’N model was ontwikkel en gevalideer vir skole se verbruik gebaseer op die gebruik van beligting in skole. Die tweede metode van vermindering behels die implementering van gedragsintervensies in skole. Die verslae was gereeld gestuur en gebaseer op energie data was gestuur na die skole wat die koste en omgewingsimpakte uiteensit. Die energieverbruik kon verminder word deur bewustheid met deurlopende en verstaanbare energie verslae Omdat die studie plaasgevind het tydens die COVID-19 pandemie was die energieverbruik van skole geassesseer weens die invloed van die pandemie se beperkings. Die verandering in energie en beweging van mense was geevalueer deur die meet van die veranderde drywinglas weens die hoeveelheid mense en die geboue se basis laste. Met die begrip van skole se energieverbruik en die implementering van moontlike maniere van vermindering sal skole in ’n beter posisie wees om na alternatiewe energie bronne te skuif. Dus het die studie die evaluering van ’n sonkrag sisteem by ’n skool ingesluit wat die impakte op die skool se koolstofvrystelling en koste ook evalueer. Altesaam le die verstaan van skool-energieverbruik; vermindering deur effektiwiteitinter- vensies en gedragsintervensies; en die evaluering van sonkrag in skole die fondasies om skole te help verbeter met betrekking tot energiebenutting, die spaar van koste op elektrisiteit en die vermindering van hulle koolstofvrystelling.Doctora