"Our aim is to motivate pupils to use energy and natural resources more consciously and sparingly," says Ellinor Hoyer, Project Manager for Climate and Environmental Education at the Ludwigsburg District Office. "A change in user behavior alone can save up to 15 percent of energy and natural resources in schools. These are important savings that will also support the climate goals of the district and the city of Ludwigsburg."
The project, initiated jointly by the city and district of Ludwigsburg, is starting with many schools and school types - from primary schools to vocational schools, almost everything is represented. A first step is the formation of energy teams or "e-teams". They are the active core of the project and are comparable to a school club. In these e-teams, all interested parties deal with energy saving in everyday school life. Together, they develop and plan activities such as project weeks and measures, which are then implemented at the schools over the four project years. In the course of building inspections with thermal imaging cameras and staff training, energy consumption in the schools is analyzed and potential savings are identified. This results in a personal action plan for each school.
Initial discussions on integrating the project took place with principal Sylvia Jägersberg and Manuel Holler from Mörike-Gymnasium Ludwigsburg. Together, they considered how the project could be implemented at the school and what initial measures should be taken. "We're finally getting started! For us, this is an important, sustainable step with a strong partner at our side," says Manuel Holler. He initiated sustainable school development at Mörike-Gymnasium three years ago under the motto "#machhaltigkeit". "There are so many ways to act sustainably." You have to "make a stop", he adds.
The project ideas that emerged from the discussion with Mörikegymnasium:
- To qualify the e-teams, pupils at Mörike Gymnasium are being trained as environmental mentors. They are supported by the Youth Foundation, which is funded by the state of Baden-Württemberg. Environmental mentors are not only able to explain the man-made greenhouse effect and are familiar with renewable energies. They multiply their knowledge at school, start their own projects and thus become active themselves in matters of climate and environmental protection.
- Another important measure at Mörike-Gymnasium will be the establishment of an "energy service", comparable to the blackboard and tidying service. "There are many small energy-saving measures, such as checking that lights or appliances are left on when leaving a room, that can achieve a lot. They are incorporated into everyday school life - and that's what matters," says Holler, describing the approach for the coming years.
- Other ideas for the project period include firmly establishing sustainable content in the individual subjects. The standby project already exists in this form in cooperation with the LEA (Ludwigsburg district energy agency) with energy-saving measures in all level 8 physics classes at Mörike-Gymnasium.
- Finally, Manuel Holler is also toying with the idea of a small wind turbine as a water pump in the playground. It would pump water from the Feuersee lake below into a fountain, according to the motto: "Close to everyday life and in the view of our pupils."
"Energy-saving models for the Ludwigsburg district"
The "Energy-saving models for the Ludwigsburg district" project was launched at the beginning of this year. The first talks with interested schools have been underway since June. The city and district of Ludwigsburg are carrying out the energy-saving models as a joint cooperation project with the schools. The project will be funded for four years by the "Energy Saving Models" municipal guideline of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
