October 2021 – Energy Scouts from the 73rd “Vladislav Gramatik” School reduce electricity costs and develop platform for further project ideas

The 73rd school “Vladislav Gramatik” is a secondary school with a focus on foreign languages in the Bulgarian capital Sofia. The pupils take part in many international projects.

The seven Energy Scouts Aleksandar Stefanov, Veselin Goranov, Kian Meyzinev, Hristo Poibrenski, Gergana Tatarska, Ivana Ivanova and Kristina Tsenova focused in their energy efficiency project on reducing electricity consumption and optimising the schools lighting.

During the project development, the Energy Scouts observed the lighting currently used in their school. They noticed that significant savings could be made by installing motion sensors in less frequented areas. Three zones are planned within the corridors: 1. large corridor, 2. square corridor and 3. foyer. Each zone is to be equipped separately with motion sensors. With a team of technicians, the students finalised their calculations and discussed the choice of sensors.
Through the automatically controlled lighting, the school will reduce its annual electricity consumption by 4,176 kWh according to the calculations of the Energy Scouts. Likewise, 2.9 t of CO₂ emissions are saved.

More ideas online “in the pipeline”
On their homepage, which the students created especially for Young Energy Europe, they share further project ideas that they would like to implement together with the school management, teachers, other students and their parents. These include, for example, replacing paper books with electronic books, but also the use of heat pumps for heating, cooling and hot water for public buildings and private homes.

The multiplier effect is already felt by other pupils in the school, but also across the school and among parents and communities. Through participation, but also because of the homepage, other potential Energy Scouts have already been motivated to take part in the qualification program in 2022.

At the national award ceremony in Sofia, the Energy Scouts convinced the jury and received the special prize “Focused Approach” with their project.

• Industry sector: education System
• Energy source: electrical energy
• Energy saving potential: 4,176 kWh/a
• CO₂ saving potential: 2.9t CO₂/a
• Potential cost reduction: 515 EUR
• Investment cost: 1,909 EUR
• Payback period: 3.7 years

• Company:
  73rd School Sofia “Vladislav Gramatik”
  Georgi Izmirliev Street 2
  1404, Sofia
  Bulgaria
  http://sou73.bg/