OREANDA-NEWS. DTEK awarded participants of the ‘Energy Efficient Schools’ project in Kyiv. Five schools that presented the best projects on the curtailment of energy consumption and conducted the most vigorous information campaign were granted UAH 180 thousand each to implement their projects. Two more schools received UAH 20 thousand each and four schools obtained UAH 15 thousand to implement one of the energy-saving initiatives.

 The DTEK-sponsored project ‘Energy Efficient Schools’ was launched in February 2013. Pupils of 11 Kyiv schools learned about heat supply basics and heat saving measures during a facultative course organised at the first pilot stage of the project. The pupils of the sixth to eighth forms had not only theoretical, but also practical lessons: they visited combined heat power plant No. 6 in Kyiv, learned how to perform a heat consumption audit of buildings, and elaborated measures to reduce energy consumption. The contractor for this project was the Institute for Local Development in Kyiv. In September, ten more schools in Kyiv, as well as educational institutions in 18 regions where DTEK has its operations in the eastern, central and western parts of the country will join the project.

 “Educational projects are of high importance for DTEK. This year, one of the key areas for company’s social investments is projects aimed at the encouragement of local communities’ interest and change in people’s attitude to social problems,” said Tetiana Overina, DTEK’s Deputy Director for External Affairs. ‘We have been implementing energy efficiency promotion projects already for several years and we have come to an understanding that even the most state-of-the-art engineering solutions are not enough. People must become conscious of the importance of rational use of energy and heat saving measures. Adults find it difficult to change their habits; that is why it is reasonable to start teaching the basics of energy efficiency already at school. We also tried to ‘add value’ to the project — to include a real-life practical element. The pupils could see themselves how electricity and heat power are produced and supplied, where energy can get lost and what can be done to reduce losses,” 

 Several factors were taken into account when summarising the project results and nominating the winner:
The quality of the prepared projects on energy efficiency improvement at schools and their feasibility;
The engagement of teachers, pupils and their parents;
The effectiveness of the information campaign launched by the school;
The quality of lessons and references to the energy efficiency theory during other school lessons (for example, discussion of the topic during English lessons, solution of problems on energy efficiency at Math classes, writing topical essays, etc.);
The way of project launching at schools, the creative approach;
The engineering criteria — reduction of power consumption during the project implementation.

 According to the survey conducted by the Institute for Local Development, the pupils and their parents have changed their attitude to energy consumption already during the project implementation stage: they started implementing energy saving measures both at school and at home. Within two months from 15 February to 15 April 11, the participating schools have saved more than UAH 23 thousand in total due to the implementation of selective energy saving measures. The energy saving measures do not only help save power, but also make the rooms more comfortable. The temperature in the classrooms can become 10-12 degrees Celsius higher in winter due to the implementation of such projects.