SCOIL RUAIN

Background

Scoil Ruain is leading the way by achieving their green flag and the first school in Ireland to receive a DISPLAY certificate.
The school and its pupils have been very active and aware in the areas of energy and environmental issues for a number of years and the school was recently awarded its second Green Schools flag, thus showing their ongoing commitment to environmental issues.
The school approached the Tipperary Energy Agency to carry out an energy audit in 2005 in the school in order to assess the energy usage of the building and to identify potential energy saving measures. The Energy Agency then provided the school with advice, to improve the energy efficiency of the school buildings. The Energy Agency also invited the school to become involved in the Display campaign.

Project Description
Aim	To promote understanding of energy, raise energy awareness amongst teachers and pupils, and create changes in energy use behaviour both at school and in the home. To improve the energy efficiency of the school’s building.
Key points	Scoil Ruain is involved in the Green Schools Programme in association with South Tipperary County Council. Scoil Ruain wants its pupils to recognise the importance of environmental issues and take them more seriously in their personal and home lives. Because the Display campaign is complementary to the Green School programme, Scoil Ruain had no hesitation when the Tipperary Energy Agency suggested them to be the first Irish school joining the campaign. Scoil Ruain received its Display posters and certificates on June 1st 2006 The Display campaign provides an opportunity to further develop the Green School project. It provides an important additional tool to promote energy and water conservation to school children and their parents. A ceremony was organised to present Scoil Ruain with its poster. Local authorities’ representatives, representatives of the school and journalists attended the ceremony together with the school’s Green committee. This was a great opportunity to highlight the importance of energy matters. It was also a positive experience for the students of the Green Committee as they had to prepare a speech and this was an opportunity for their work to be officially recognised and awarded. Joe Donovan (Vice Chairman of South Tipperary County Council) displayed the Green Committee with a special certificate, as they are the first school to join the Display Campaign in Ireland. (Scoil Ruain, June 1st 2006) The Display campaign will also be a way to measure the efficiency of the different measures undertaken by Scoil Ruain after the energy audit. The audit identified a number of areas where savings could be achieved, and where changes could be made to increase the comfort level of the school. Scoil Ruain has started implementing some of these recommendations. For example, most of the simple glazed windows have been replaced with efficient double glazed windows. The aim now is to measure further savings, and the Display campaign will provide an engaging means of achieving this. A new poster will be displayed to the school in 2007 in order to track the energy consumption and to show its evolution between 2005 and 2006. The poster will highlight the changes and the savings and Scoil Ruain will hopefully improve its ratings.
Reason for inclusion as Shining Example	The two factors that make this a Shining Example are the involvement of the whole school in the energy issue, and the fact that Display has been integrated with the Green School programme to produce long-lasting results and increase the impact of both programmes. Scoil Ruain is the first school involved in the Display Campaign. This is also one of the reasons why it is a Shining Example, especially in Ireland. The Display Campaign and the Green School Programme are two complementary actions for the schools. (Scoil Ruain, June 1st 2006)

Recommendations
Achievments	- From the participation of the Scoil Ruain in the Green Flag programme and the Display campaign, the awareness of both students and staff has greatly increased towards energy and environmental issues.  The commitment of the school is shown through two new projects to do with energy: One focuses on growing of energy crops and the other investigates the potential for wind energy.  The fact that Scoil Ruain joined Display will encourage other schools to participate as well.
Lessons Learned	- Linking the Display programme and the Green School programme increases the efficiency and the impact of both projects. Pupils and teachers are more able to understand the Display poster and the Display campaign once they have been involved in the energy issue thanks to the Green School programme. And schools involved in the Green Schools programme have a chance to use their new knowledge and to have a good tool to assess the energy efficiency of their school by joining the Display campaign.  It would be advantageous if the Display campaign could be promoted together with the Green School programme. The schools that wish to get a Green flag should be informed about the Display campaign and have the possibility to join it as it is a good exercise and a useful tool.  It is easier to get Green schools involved in the Display campaign as they are already aware of the energy issues and as they already have knowledge about energy.