The coordinators of the project “Energy Saving for a Stable Future” initiated a cooperation program on energy efficiency with three schools in Kyrgyzstan. Among them is Bishkek Ecological and Economic Lyceum No. 65.
Energy saving is the process of reducing energy consumption by decreasing energy costs. Costs can, in turn, be reduced by implementing various solutions related to energy conservation. The installation of new energy-saving light fixtures, presence sensors, and replacement of old windows with new energy-efficient ones are quite convincing examples of such solutions.
Ecologists visited the Ecological and Economic Lyceum No. 65 to check how the energy-saving activities carried out within the project affected the physical school environment.
“The goal of the monitoring,” says project coordinator “Energy Saving for a Stable Future” Mikhail Yakovlev, “is to investigate the physical school environment in the pilot classroom of the project — the ecology classroom — and in other school classes where the school independently replaced old wooden windows with new plastic ones. The glasses installed in the ecology classroom turned out to be energy-saving: they better maintain the temperature inside the classroom. They do a better job of the task – saving heat, especially on cold days.”
Sixth grader David Yusupov and Kutmanbek uulu Imam from class 6 “B”, in pilot classroom No. 316 of the “Energy Saving for a Stable Future” project, said that it was warm and comfortable in their classroom this winter, although in other classes the air temperature was much lower, and the lighting in the classrooms was uneven!
In the adjacent classroom No. 315, a math lesson was taking place. Teacher Anna Alexandrovna Kulagina complained to the BIOM coordinators that there was no ventilation, all the windows were sealed throughout the winter, making natural ventilation impossible! As a result, the CO2 concentration in the classroom escalates by the end of the school day, causing dizziness and discomfort for students and teachers!
Biology teacher Olga Vasilyevna Nikiforova reported that when there were severe frosts outside, it was very cold in classroom No. 111. Ultimately, students often caught colds and missed classes due to illness.
Russian language teacher Asel Arzybekovna Orozova complained that most classrooms lacked lighting at the blackboards, and not all ceiling fixtures were working and often buzzed due to old age.
According to Russian language teacher Dinara Egimberdieva, the exemplary pilot classes are a great model to emulate. However, funding for them came from donors. But where will the funds come from for the other classes? This task is not for NGOs or foreign donors; it is the state’s responsibility!
