The Barcelona Climate School Plan is an initiative promoted by the Barcelona City Council within the framework of the Municipal Climate Plan to adapt public educational centres to the challenges arising from climate change and the energy transition. Periods of high temperatures are becoming increasingly frequent and prolonged. Classrooms must therefore adapt their air conditioning and ventilation systems. In this context, the interventions carried out in several schools become a key element in improving the thermal comfort of students and teaching staff, ensuring a healthier environment, covering the resulting energy needs with green energy, and achieving the schools’ decarbonisation objectives. The programme targets nursery, primary, secondary and special education schools managed by the Consorci d’Educació de Barcelona.
A basic and executive project is carried out for the air conditioning, ventilation and photovoltaic installations, together with the construction management services, to improve the thermal and energy conditions of Escola La Llacuna del Poblenou, Escola Ramón y Cajal, Escola La Mar Bella, Escola Jaume I, Escola Rius i Taulet, Escola Les Acàcies and Escola Poeta Foix.
The technical renovation includes the design and sizing of all air conditioning and ventilation systems in the schools, as well as the photovoltaic installations.
Regarding the air conditioning systems, the project defines the replacement of gas boilers used for heating and domestic hot water production with more modern, energy-efficient and sustainable units. Specifically, they are replaced by aerothermal systems, which make it possible to harness the temperature of outdoor air, operate mainly with electricity — thus avoiding combustion — improve energy efficiency, and integrate with other renewable energy systems such as photovoltaic installations. This enables a high level of decarbonisation to be achieved.
With regard to the ventilation systems, heat recovery units are incorporated to renew the air in the different school spaces through supply and return ductwork. Depending on each case, the conditioning of the supplied air is integrated into the ventilation systems through water coil units. In addition, CO₂ sensors are strategically installed to monitor the correct operation of the heat recovery systems.
Likewise, rooftop photovoltaic self-consumption installations without surplus export are designed and sized to generate sufficient energy to meet the new energy demand of the air conditioning and ventilation systems. This results in a set of energy-efficient and sustainable interventions, as all installations are powered by renewable energy generated by solar panels. The interventions reduce gas consumption and associated emissions, increase renewable self-consumption, and improve classroom thermal comfort throughout the year. At the same time, adequate indoor air quality is ensured in accordance with current regulations.
