Ash Green School in Coventry has unveiled a new £70,000 energy management installation designed to reduce energy consumption and costs by approximately a third over the next four years.
The secondary school academy has partnered with YLEM Energy to introduce its Optimise energy management platform across the school’s maths block, improving monitoring, control and reporting of energy usage.
The project follows a technical assessment that identified opportunities to upgrade existing energy controls, gas monitoring and reporting systems, with the aim of improving operational efficiency and delivering significant five-figure annual savings.
Ash Green School operates a large and varied estate, with buildings dating from the late 1800s alongside modern facilities housing classrooms, offices and the main school reception.
Managing energy consumption across buildings of different ages and specifications presents challenges for education estates teams, particularly as schools face continued pressure to control operating costs while meeting sustainability commitments.
The new installation will provide access to real-time and historical energy data, enabling facilities managers to identify inefficiencies, monitor consumption patterns and make more informed decisions about building performance.
Andy Hill, Technical Solutions Manager at YLEM Energy Optimise, said schools and education facilities were under increasing pressure to reduce energy expenditure.
“By reducing carbon emissions they can redirect crucial funds from utility costs back into classroom teaching and student resources,” he said.
The investment builds on Ash Green School’s existing sustainability programme, which has included the installation of a substantial rooftop solar energy facility.
James Nadin, Regional Facilities Manager at Ash Green School, said the latest project would improve the school’s ability to understand and manage energy consumption.
“This new installation further builds on that success and transforms how we manage energy usage and leverage real-time and historical data to identify waste and inefficiencies,” he said.
The project demonstrates how targeted improvements to building controls and energy monitoring can complement renewable energy investment, particularly across mixed-age estates where existing infrastructure may offer opportunities for efficiency gains.
The school expects the installation to support its longer-term sustainability objectives while reducing expenditure on utilities and freeing up resources for educational priorities.
Image credit: YLEM Energy / Ash Green School
