Schools

CASE STUDY

Enabling Independent and Catholic Schools to achieve long term cost control and sustainability

ENERGY PROCUREMENT, GROUP BUYING, ENERGY STRATEGY, RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY

Achieving long-term cost control and sustainability

Independent and Catholic schools face rising energy costs, increasing energy needs, the need for flexibility, whilst becoming more sustainable.  This position drives action to achieve competitive electricity and gas tariffs, become more energy efficient, achieve a genuine renewable transition, and provide flexibility to grow.  In other words, cut cost and emissions.

Achieving energy objectives are overshadowed by persistent energy challenges: multiple buildings of varying condition across one or multiple campuses, varying plant and equipment, rising energy costs, growing pressure from parents, students, staff and boards to act on sustainability, and limited in-house expertise to navigate a complex and volatile energy market.

This is context is one in which 1Circle excels in supporting schools and includes:

  • Establishing a strategic plan of action to achieve energy and emissions goals for present and masterplan requirements
  • Procuring low cost electricity and gas, either independently or as a buying group, using multi-round competitive buying processes
  • Planning and arranging plant and equipment upgrades, rooftop solar, battery and EV infrastructure deployment
  • Guiding ongoing energy performance including energy budgeting, bill validation, efficiency tracking and emissions reporting

Our experience covers over 160 schools and has demonstrated every aspect of energy management. 

Challenge

Schools are genuinely committed to sustainability while facing sustained pressure to manage costs.

This situation is compounded by ageing buildings, a diverse range of plant and equipment and mounting pressure for rapid action.

Further complications include:

  • Diverse stakeholder groups — Boards, Business Managers and Sustainability Committees — with varying energy market knowledge and sustainability goals
  • Unique energy requirements given individual campus features, needs, risk tolerance and budgets
  • Reconciling School Masterplan goals with near term maintenance and equipment upgrades
  • Incomplete asset registers and condition reports complicate asset planning
  • Volatile energy markets that creates price uncertainty and pressures school budgets
  • Expectations for electrification of gas equipment e.g. heating and boilers
  • Growing expectations from parents, students and staff for genuine, verifiable sustainability action

Solution

1Circle’s energy management methodology uses four core capabilities from which we:

  • define the strategic objectives for action
  • manage energy procurement
  • plan, deploy, and/or upgrade plant and equipment
  • provide energy and emissions performance reporting

When applied to specific schools, initiatives typically include:

  • Establishing an energy strategy that sets a plan, metrics and budget for achieving cost, efficiency and emissions goals and other energy dependent considerations such as EV charging.
  • Manage a competitive energy procurement process either as a single school or group buying arrangement to further lower tariffs and transaction costs
  • End-to-end management of solar (and battery as applicable) including establishing feasibility, managing procurement and deployment, and verifying performance to renewably lower the cost of electricity
  • Collaboratively work with property teams to establish a reliable plant and equipment asset register then develop an accurate capital works plan that informs operating cost, capital and sustainability targets.  This includes details on electrification of gas plant.
  • Establish an ongoing energy cost, efficiency and emissions reporting framework to track strategic and operational progress, and evaluate equipment performance guarantees

Results

Achievable and informed strategy

Strategies are grounded in reality yet apply the realistic potential of opportunities to increase efficiency, reduce emissions and lower energy cost.  Forecast budgets for capital works and operating cost are included for the short to medium-term, and emissions outcomes are quantified.

Low cost and renewable energy

Our multi-round energy procurement service achieves leading tariff outcomes.   Most recently fixed price and longer-term agreements are delivering strong value.  Group buying further increases buying power and lowers transaction costs.  Our process also achieves leading renewable outcomes that can result in a budget neutral outcome when switching to renewable electricity.

Right sized high performing infrastructure

Rigorous planning of new and upgraded plant and equipment confidently enables investment decisions.  This is matched with procurement support and post-installation performance validation to ensure value is achieved.

Clear performance

1Circle’s energy bill validation, performance analysis and emissions reporting provides the evidence and insight to improve performance and meet stakeholder reporting expxectations.

    For further information contact 1Circle