Carefree Program for Primary School De Triangel
Director Klazien van der Vlist welcomed the guests in her office. Soon the first question from the deputy arose as to why De Triangel made use of the Carefree Program. Klazien explained that a measurement in the school had found a too high CO₂ level. And, she continued, as we know, thats not good. It brings complaints such as headaches and fatigue. Its not good for the learning ability of the children and also not for the teachers.
At that moment, advisor Rob Wieggers called to ask if she could use free support from the OMV program to improve and make the school building more sustainable. Klazien immediately said yes. De Triangel is an independent school. As a director-manager, you make decisions, coordinate with the supervisors. However, this theme requires technical knowledge that you do not have yourself. Therefore, this help from the government is more than welcome.
At the schools request, an application was submitted during the Christmas holidays for the safety net scheme SUVIS, just before this scheme ended. (SUVIS stands for specific allocation for ventilation in schools and aims to improve the indoor climate of existing school buildings). After that, René Veltman from the OMV team made an appointment with the school. He assessed the condition of the building and looked for ways to improve it. The building actually consists of 3 parts:
- a part from 1976,
- a part from 1990 and
- a part from 2009.
In addition to scanning the building, he held conversations with the teachers to hear what comfort (or not) they noticed in their classroom. One example was the screens for the windows. In the sun, they could go down, but then the windows could not be opened for ventilation. And considering that the 25 to 30 children in the class also all give off heat, just like little stoves. The noise level of the fans was also found to be very high. Some were broken, and due to the too small diameter of the ventilation ducts, insufficient air was coming in. The outcomes of these conversations were taken into account in the solutions, for example, that each classroom would be individually adjustable.
A Missed Opportunity
In the building on Kerkhoflaan in Lunteren, alongside primary school De Triangel is also the IKC De Triangel of Partou. The primary school held discussions with the IKC to jointly implement the measures. Unfortunately, these discussions did not lead to a joint effort, let alone to the implementation of the possibilities that had already been mapped out.
Coordination with the municipality took time that was not available. Every day in an unhealthy climate is indeed one. Therefore, Klazien made the decision to continue alone. No matter how enthusiastic and passionate she talks about the process, it is now evident that it is a pity that they could not find each other. It was a matter of money. As the owner of the building, she would have liked it to be different; a missed opportunity.
Difference of Day and Night
Meanwhile, the plans have been implemented and a lot has improved, a difference of day and night. We have gained so much comfort from it. You feel fitter and the learning ability remains intact. Even later in the day when the temperatures rise in the summer months. CO₂ meters have been placed in every classroom to which the ventilation system automatically adjusts. The installed units cool and/or heat. We were one of the first schools in 2016 to install 200 solar panels on the roof. We also looked at the reuse of materials, the power consumption of equipment at Partou, and the removal of refrigerators in the classrooms of De Triangel. A peak power battery has not yet been chosen. We have not received an extension from Liander to date.
Power Generation
Councilor Arnold Versteeg asked Klazien what she does with power generation in the summer. Legislation is going to change, and then much more may be shared together. The childcare continues in the summer, so there is power consumption in the building. Klazien could use the surplus power for charging stations. The OMV will send her information about that.
Daring to Think Further
Klazien sometimes attends educational meetings, and then some schools wonder what the municipality is doing about sustainability and climate improvement? In her view, another question comes first: what are you doing yourself? What pays off for the future?
You need to combine educational thinking with business thinking. As a daughter from an entrepreneurial family, she has learned that you have to think further and dare to make a decision. And that is exactly what she intends to continue doing. Moreover, she wishes every owner of social real estate the support from the OMV program.