XP students produce green energy certificate for 18th century Cusworth Hall

With guidance and support of national energy software company, Digital Energy, who are based at The Science Park in Manchester the students have been surveying the Hall to produce calculations for a Display Energy Certificate (DEC).

Display Energy Certificates (DEC’s) are designed to show the energy performance of public buildings.

The XP project is all part of one of the school’s learning expeditions entitled: ‘Where is Away?’ This takes a look at where we throw things away – every day.

Sustainability, green energy and developing a recycling strategy for the school have all been part of the project. This has helped students understand the delicate balance and practicalities of living mindfully in a 21st century world, where throwing things away has become the norm.

Head of school at XP, Martin Said, commented: “All our expeditions have to connect with the real world and have a purpose and end product. We began work on a DEC at Cusworth Hall last week with the expert guidance of Jon.

“I think it was a real learning curve for all of us and a really practical and hands on way to discover more about how energy is used in buildings, how we measure that and how we can make a difference.”

He added: “I’d like to thank Jon and Digital Energy for their support and the team at Cusworth Hall who also helped to make this project happen.”

Jon Cranefield, of Digital Energy, said: “There is no better way to understand the way energy works in a building - whether that’s home, school, or heritage site – than to carry out a professional survey. Looking at every aspect, from the lighting to insulation, heating sources to windows can paint a real picture of how sustainable and energy efficient a building is.”