Case Study: St Peter's School, Cambridge, New Zealand

St Peter's, Cambridge is a leading independent, co-educational secondary school of approximately 1100 pupils.

As part of their programme of improved energy efficiency and environmental awareness St Peter's wanted to maximise the efficiency of heating and cooling in their classroom environment. St Peter's had already made an investment in energy efficient heat pumps to provide an effective ambient temperature in which students could learn in. However, given that heat pumps are clandestine in operation (being barely noticeable when they are operating), even with the best intention of teachers and pupils it was inevitable that these heat pumps were left on when classrooms were unused or forced to work inefficiently when doors were left open.

The Energy Security Interface (ESI) has saved St Peter's more than 50% off their heating and cooling costs, without compromising the temperature comfort in any room. By linking to their school management database ESI automatically turns air-conditioners on and off based on scheduled occupancy and actual detected occupancy. ESI also provides a method of re-enforcing good energy efficiency practices of keeping doors shut as the heat pumps now automatically turn off in such cases. Being a holistic learning environment which values respect for others and the environment, this is an important benefit to St Peter's.

As an additional advantage of deploying the ESI system, the security devices used to determine room occupancy (Motion Detectors and Door Reed Switches) also provide significantly improved security in each classroom. Outside normal school hours both the Motion Detectors and Door Reed Switches detect intruders and trigger security alarms if activated. This was an important consideration given St Peters' classrooms (as with many classrooms) contain valuable teaching resources.

By implementing ESI St Peter's is enjoying major cost savings, enhanced environmental awareness and improved asset security.