The Efficient Romania program, implemented by Energy Policy Group (EPG) and supported by OMV Petrom with 15 million euro, led to an average 60% reduction in energy consumption at the five educational units modernized to nZEB standard.
“Education is essential to the development of society, and energy efficiency helps reduce consumption and emissions. The “Efficient Romania” program brings these two together, transforming educational institutions across Romania into safer, more modern, and more sustainable spaces. We are pleased to support initiatives that bring real value to communities and contribute to the greater good of society”, said Christina Verchere, CEO OMV Petrom.
“OMV Petrom’s support made it possible to develop and expand the program, through which we promote both energy efficiency and community education and information. The benefits are obvious: lower costs, increased comfort and a safer environment for students and teachers. These results show that investments in efficiency and education are investments in the future of society,” said Radu Dudău, EPG director and project coordinator.
Five school buildings modernized to nZEB standards
Since 2019, the program has carried out energy-efficiency renovations on five public school buildings, providing modern and energy-efficient conditions each year to more than 1,000 beneficiaries:
- Boarding School of the Elie Radu Technological High School in Ploiești
- Liliești Middle School in Băicoi
- Zig-Zag Kindergarten in Ovidiu
- Workshops and laboratories of the Vernești Technological High School
- Boarding School of the Tudor Vladimirescu Technological High School in Șimian
A new project is underway: the rehabilitation of School no. 1 in Tuzla.
The works included: high-performance thermal insulation, energy-efficient carpentry, modernization of heating and ventilation systems, structural reinforcements where necessary, adaptation to modern safety and accessibility standards, as well as the installation of photovoltaic panels to produce green energy.
Benefits observed by the beneficiary
- Zig-Zag Kindergarten (Ovidiu): energy consumption was reduced by approximately 60%, bills decreased, indoor comfort improved visibly, and students and teachers became more focused, with reduced absenteeism and more responsible behaviors towards energy consumption.
- Vernești Technological High School: heating costs decreased, even though the heating system and ventilation are now running continuously, compared to just 6 hours a day previously. And students and teachers have developed habits of responsible energy use.
In addition to modernizing the buildings, Efficient Romania has annually carried out information campaigns and educational activities dedicated to children - from educational shows and interactive workshops to awareness-raising actions on the responsible use of energy - thus strengthening the role of rehabilitated schools as models of good practice in their communities.
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About Efficient Romania
Efficient Romania is a private project of national scope, carried out by the Energy Policy Group (EPG) in partnership and with financing from OMV Petrom. The project started in the summer of 2019 and consists of carrying out a national program to promote energy efficiency. Efficient Romania aims to support the achievement of Romania's 2030 targets in terms of reducing carbon emissions and increasing energy efficiency, both through information and education campaigns and by carrying out concrete major renovation projects in public schools in different regions of the country. More details can be found on the romania-eficienta.ro website.