Variability of energy and water consumption of school buildings

Abstract

In developed countries, the building sector is responsible for a very significant share of the total energy consumption. School buildings, since they are places where children are educated and learn to become active members of the society, must be a good example of efficient use of energy and water. In this study, data of the energy and water consumption of 23 Portuguese schools and their main building characteristics and properties was gathered. This information was normalized in order to homogenize the data set and then analysed using advanced statistical tools. The results show a significant variability in the consumption of different schools, even with similar characteristics, suggesting that there may be space to an improvement in its efficiency.