Bridging the gap between predicted and actual energy performance in schools

There is currently a significant gap between design stage estimates and actual energy performance of buildings, mainly due to a lack of understanding of the factors affecting energy use. The current work focuses on investigating which factors have the greatest influence on energy performance in schools and how the performance of the building in use differs from design assumptions. Sensitivity analysis was performed to rank the importance of various factors affecting energy use. In addition, visits to 15 schools across the UK were carried out. The aim of these visits was to collect data on a number of factors relating to building energy use, as well as to determine the likely variability of these factors. Preliminary results show that operational issues and occupant behaviour have a major influence on energy performance of schools, and therefore play a significant role in the discrepancy between design estimates and actual energy use. Hence an effective handover and user-education are essential to optimise energy performance.