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Energy Efficiency in School Buildings: The Need for a Tailor-Made Business Model

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Sustainability in Energy and Buildings 2020

Part of the book series: Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies ((SIST,volume 203))

Abstract

Energy efficiency (EE) for buildings can be an essential aid to the climate objectives regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). More and more, the potential of maintenance and energy performance contract (EPC) is being recognized for this implementation, with the help of an energy service company (ESCO) whether accompanied by a facilitator. Clustering buildings can be an additional asset: since in this way the risks for the ESCO can be spread, the projects with a quick and high return on investment are a catalyst for long-term projects and finally, because of the higher absolute amount of investment these projects become more interested for/in the financial partners, which can be realized through adapted business models. In this article, we discuss two cases related to the pooling of buildings for higher and secondary education institutions. The university of applied sciences PXL with 12 buildings, all under own management and the association of schools in Sint-Niklaas (54 different location in the city), belongs to four different school communities. For both cases, the limits of the “classical” maintenance EPC are discussed and an adjusted approach with the corresponding business model is reported. As the educational value for both institutions is also of great importance, the link between energy efficiency and the didactic component, as well as the interaction with other stakeholders in the buildings (in- and extern) is explained.

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Acknowledgements

The views expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of the authors. The authors are very grateful to Christine Schoeters (language), Laura Franco (references), Cas Boyen (inspiration), and Viviane Mebis (lay-out) in finalizing an earlier version of the article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UHasselt Centre for Environmental Sciences, Agoralaan, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium

    Dirk V. H. K. Franco

  2. PXL, Central Administration, Building A, Elfde Liniestraat 25, 35O0, Hasselt, Belgium

    Dirk V. H. K. Franco & Marijke Maes

  3. University of Caxias Do Sul (UCS), Caxias Do Sul, Brazil

    Janaina Macke

  4. PXL, Department Green and Tech, Agoralaan, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium

    Marleen Schepers

  5. PXL, Business, Elfde Liniestraat 25, 35O0, Hasselt, Belgium

    Jean-Pierre Segers

  6. Riga Technical University, FEEM Kalku Iela 1, Centra Rajons, Riga, PXL, 1658, Latvia

    Jean-Pierre Segers

  7. HEC-ULg, Rue Louvrex 14, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Jean-Pierre Segers

  8. Energycoach Plezantstraat, 135–9100, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium

    Evelien Cruyplandt

Authors
  1. Dirk V. H. K. Franco
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  2. Janaina Macke
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  3. Marleen Schepers
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  4. Jean-Pierre Segers
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  5. Marijke Maes
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  6. Evelien Cruyplandt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dirk V. H. K. Franco .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Art and Design, The Sustainable and Resilient Built Environment group, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, UK

    John Littlewood

  2. ‘Aurel Vlaicu’ University of Arad, Arad, Romania

    Robert J. Howlett

  3. Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, UK

    Lakhmi C. Jain

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© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

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Franco, D.V.H.K., Macke, J., Schepers, M., Segers, JP., Maes, M., Cruyplandt, E. (2021). Energy Efficiency in School Buildings: The Need for a Tailor-Made Business Model. In: Littlewood, J., Howlett, R.J., Jain, L.C. (eds) Sustainability in Energy and Buildings 2020. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 203. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8783-2_7

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