Cooler Classrooms success stories
Jamison High School
Jamison High School, located in Penrith in Sydney’s Western Suburbs experiences a mean maximum January temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. Under the Cooler Classrooms program, the high school received air conditioning and fresh air ventilation in 34 permanent learning spaces and 1 library area, plus 38 kW of solar panels to offset the increased power usage with renewable energy.
Commencing in November 2018, the installation contractor, Ryan Wilkes, worked closely with Principal, Glyn Trethewy, to design a school-focused solution that placed the educational needs of the students and the school’s operational requirements at the centre. Mr Trethewy confirmed the improved infrastructure has led to significant improvements in student behaviour and improved learning times across the school.
“The Cooler Classrooms Program has provided our school the air conditioning and ventilation resources to provide our students with comfortable indoor learning spaces so they quickly and easily focus on learning on days of extreme high and low temperatures. My staff and I have witnessed a significant improvement in the behaviour of students and an overall increase in the positive atmosphere across the school since Cooler Classrooms installed air conditioning and ventilation. After breaks outside students are less distracted and are able to settle and focus faster, increasing the practical learning time in each class. I was able to work closely with the program’s design consultant and installation contractor who were both dedicated to designing a school-focused solution that has left our school better off than ever before to support our students with quality infrastructure,” said Mr Trethewy.
Student representatives in years 10 and 12 shared their experiences expressing that the effects of the air conditioning and fresh air ventilation have made it “a lot more comfortable to learn” on days of extreme temperatures recognising “when fresh air starts coming in we calm down so much easier” in comparison to previous learning conditions when “it was hard to focus”.
The smart control system has led to an increased awareness of the variable elements that contribute to indoor comfort - temperature, humidity and fresh air - and the various solutions and associated energy toll of each solution.
At Jamison High School, the energy-awareness behaviours have proven to transcend the school gates with students becoming ambassadors for efficient energy use at home. One year 10 student is proudly encouraging his parents to turn off air conditioning on days of comfortable temperatures stating, “‘I definitely go home and try and to save as much energy as possible.”
A year 12 student expressed their pride in the use of solar power to offset the annualised energy consumption of the new air conditioning units. The student shared the sentiment “our generation cares about the future of the environment. To know that our classrooms are air conditioned with sustainable and renewable energy means we can focus on learning knowing without negatively impacting the environment, and it’s even better that our school is saving money on energy costs.”
Mr Trethewy confirmed the school has seen a significant decrease in energy costs as a result of solar panels installed by the Cooler Classrooms Program and the increased use of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights throughout the school.
The Cooler Classrooms Program at Jamison High School has demonstrated it is much more than an air conditioning program and is providing increased quality learning time for students and practical tools to encourage students to make informed energy-efficient decisions.
