District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier and the Mayor of Ludwigsburg, Andrea Schwarz, spoke at the beginning via video message to welcome and thank the participants. "The topic of saving energy has become increasingly important in recent years - for climate protection and to ensure that we have enough energy available. With your commitment, you are helping to preserve a future worth living," said District Administrator Allgaier.
Mayor Schwarz added: "The city of Ludwigsburg has set itself the goal of being climate-neutral by 2035. This means that we have to save energy wherever possible and cover our energy requirements from renewable sources in the future. It's great for us to see what you have achieved."
Project funded with 72,000 euros by the KSK Ludwigsburg Foundation
The energy teams clearly presented their climate protection activities using materials they had brought with them. They were then rewarded with prizes. The prize money was made possible by funding from the Environmental and Nature Conservation Foundation of Kreissparkasse Ludwigsburg and Stadtwerke Ludwigsburg-Kornwestheim and Bietigheim-Bissingen. Thomas Geiger, board member and representative of the Kreissparkasse Foundation, said: "We have been investing considerable sums in climate and environmental protection for many years. This multi-year school project alone was supported by our foundation with 72,000 euros. We are also investing in photovoltaics, geothermal energy, heat pumps, solar thermal energy, heat recovery and the intelligent control of technical systems. In order to keep our district liveable and lovable for us and future generations, we want to give something of what we generate back to the people and our homeland. I am delighted that the pupils are also actively involved in shaping climate protection."
Eleven schools use Energiedienst - total energy savings of almost ten percent
A lot has happened in the last phase of the project: An energy service was active in classes at eleven schools, encouraging pupils to switch off appliances and lights or turn down the heating. Through these and other measures, the project, in collaboration with the respective building administration, helped to achieve total energy savings of almost ten percent at the five city and seven district schools in 2023 compared to the previous year. These are made up of electricity and heat savings, which saved energy costs of around 184,000 euros (provisional figures). Bike checks were also organized for five schools so that everyone can be climate-friendly and safe on the road.
"We have now been on the road together for almost three years and each school had to overcome individual hurdles in order to give energy saving and climate protection more scope. The results of the project reports submitted and the energy savings achieved show that the schools have firmly anchored the key building blocks of the project in their structures. This is a great success and I am extremely pleased. As part of the continuation of the project, we would like to move forward with the school communities and pass on the experience to other schools in the district," explained project manager Ellinor Hoyer from the district office.
Even though the schools voted for an audience favorite with sticky dots at the award ceremony, the World Café was primarily about the major joint task of climate protection - this became clear once again at the meeting in the Feuerseemensa.
Information on the "Energy-saving models at schools in the Ludwigsburg district" project
The cooperation project between the city and district of Ludwigsburg started in October 2021 with schools from primary to vocational schools. The aim of the project is to raise awareness of climate-friendly behavior, show ways to save energy and strengthen the feeling of self-efficacy. Since the start of the project, the participating schools have been implementing climate protection activities based on a catalog of measures. The energy teams consist of pupils, teachers and the technical building management. In March, the "Energy-saving models in schools" project entered its fourth phase. A new catalog of measures serves as a guideline for further action by the schools.
A few facts about the previous project phase:
- 11 schools have an energy team, some with new members
- 10 schools actively promoted the project to their teaching staff
- 10 schools have established an energy service at their school
- 10 schools provided information within the school about the project, energy saving and climate protection opportunities and recruited new members
- 10 schools informed the public about the project via press articles or information on the website
- 8 schools borrowed an energy measurement kit or a thermal imaging camera and/or carried out an inspection tour
- 11 schools dealt with the topics of climate change, climate protection and energy saving in lessons or on excursions
- 11 schools carried out topic-specific project or action days
- 11 schools held a mid-term meeting with the project management to discuss the implementation status and the long-term establishment of the project in their school
