Energy efficiency and community buildings

All community buildings and spaces are different – from schools to community centres, sports facilities to outhouses – however whatever type of building you use there will be something you can do to improve your efficiency and use your energy more wisely.

Becoming more energy efficient could involve changing light bulbs or your heating system or considering draught proofing. It could mean insulating the floor, walls and roof or simply changing the way the building is used – bunching activities together so that each can benefit from heating the building once rather than several different times.

It is likely that your community building is older, maybe a bit draughty, hard to heat, or too hot. Many community buildings have little or no insulation as they were not built to be lived in. This means that they are cold or the heating has to be on very high to make the building comfortable.

Without insulation, the heating is going straight through the roof and walls. This is quite literally global warming! A simple assessment could determine whether your building is suitable for insulation and what type would be best for you. The effects would be instant – creating a warmer more comfortable environment and reducing your energy bills.

Even if you have a very modern building with in-built energy efficiency measures, the way that it is used can lead to energy wastage. Behavioural change amongst users can be as important as physical efficiency measures and it is essential that everyone who uses the space is aware of the simple things they can do to make a difference – such as turning off lights and appliances when they are no longer in use.

The important thing to remember is that there are different options available to suit different premises and that first you need to understand your energy usage and areas where energy is wasted in order to be able to plan and make changes.

This website should help to guide you on the different options available to you to make your community building energy efficient – including a step by step guide to implementing change and also detailed fact sheets on each of the key areas.