This summer brings the start of the Barcelona School Climate Plan, a municipal initiative to control temperatures in schools with a twofold objective: firstly to ensure air quality and comfortable temperatures from students and staff during the hottest and coldest times of the year, fostering an environment of well-being for education and learning.

Secondly, the new plan will help towards decarbonisation and the reduction of pollutant emissions, and towards energy savings and sustainability, basically through the installation of aerothermal systems and solar panels. These new systems will transform schools into energy producers, favouring self-consumption and involving the education community and students in the fight against the climate emergency. Excess power will also be used to supply other municipal facilities.

An estimated 55,519 students will benefit from these measures, with savings of over 1.1 million euros achieved in power consumption.

A project in two stages 

The Barcelona Education Consortium will be tasked with executing the project, partly funded by the tourist tax, with an expected investment of 13.7 million euros in 2024 and 17 million euros a year through to 2029.

The two stages of execution will be:

• First stage (2024-2026): priority for 84 schools where urgent needs have been identified: impact of high temperatures, noise and air pollution, building orientation, construction characteristics and urban surroundings.
• Second stage (2027-2029): implantation in the remaining 86 schools.

The 170 schools covered by the plan are all municipal facilities where the City Council is responsible for maintenance and renovations (primary schools, municipal secondary schools and special education centres), along with the city’s all-through schools, even though the responsibility for these is shared with the Catalan government.

The plan still needs approval from the Full Council and will be submitted to a vote in the next session on 26 January.

First projects in 2024 

The first 24 schools to be adapted through the Barcelona School Climate Plan will be:

• Ciutat Vella: Escola Drassanes and Escola Mediterrània
• L’Eixample: Escola Fructuós Gelabert, Escola Encants, Escola Els Llorers, Escola Fort Pienc and Escola Mallorca
• Les Corts: Escola Anglesola
• Sarrià – Sant Gervasi: CEE Municipal Vil·la Joana
• Gràcia: Escola Josep Maria de Segarra and Escola Univers
• Horta-Guinardó: CEE La Ginesta
• Sant Andreu: Escola Ramón y Cajal, Escola Can Fabra, Escola Eulàlia Bota, Escola Ignasi Iglésias and Escola La Maquinista
• Sant Martí: Escola Fluvià, Escola La Mar Bella, Escola L’Arc de Sant Martí, Escola Pere IV, Escola Provençals, Escola Sant Martí and Escola La Llacuna del Poblenou

Work will mainly be carried out in the summer, taking advantage of the summer break. Notable actions include:

• Installation of solar panels
• Installation of aerothermal systems
• Removal of gas-powered heating systems
• Work on the outside of buildings

Municipal teams are working on the reorganisation of summer activity camps held at these centres, to minimise the impact of work by transferring activities to other nearby facilities.