School · Cooling
Cooling in school: what the SRI measures
Cooling mirrors heating: control per room, prevent heating and cooling from fighting each other, store cold when electricity is cheap, and let the chiller follow actual demand.
In short
- 1This page shows how the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) assesses the Cooling domain for schools.
- 2Cooling counts in schools with a relative weighting factor of 1 on a scale of 0 to 3 in the overall score.
- 3For schools, the focus is mainly on preventing simultaneous heating and cooling and on cooling that follows the school timetable.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooling emission control C-1a · A · 5 levels | No automatic control | Individual room control with communication and occupancy detection | at least level 1 |
| Emission control for TABS (cooling mode) C-1b · 4 levels | No automatic control | Advanced central automatic control with intermittent operation and/or room temperature feedback control | – |
| Control of distribution network chilled water temperature (supply or return) C-1c · 3 levels | Constant temperature control | Demand based control | – |
| Control of distribution pumps in networks C-1d · 5 levels | No automatic control | Variable speed pump control (external demand signal) | – |
| Interlock: avoiding simultaneous heating and cooling in the same room C-1f · 3 levels | No interlock | Total interlock (control system ensures no simultaneous heating and cooling can take place) | – |
| Control of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) operation C-1g · 4 levels | Continuous storage operation | Cold storage capable of flexible control through grid signals (e.g. DSM) | – |
| Generator control for cooling C-2a · A · 4 levels | On/Off-control of cooling production | Variable control of cooling production capacity depending on the load AND external signals from grid | at least level 1 |
| Sequencing of different cooling generators C-2b · 5 levels | Priorities only based on running times | Sequencing based on dynamic priority list, including external signals from grid | – |
| Report information regarding cooling system performance C-3 · A · 5 levels | None | Central or remote reporting of performance evaluation including forecasting and/or benchmarking; also including predictive management and fault detection | at least level 1 |
| Flexibility and grid interaction C-4 · A · 5 levels | No automatic control | Optimized control of cooling system based on local predictions and grid signals (e.g. through model predictive control) | at least level 1 |
Worked example
If everything in this domain is at level 0, the domain contributes nothing. At the highest level for all services, the indicative total score for this building type rises by about 16 percentage points (from 30 to 46 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why is cooling relevant for schools?
Schools operate on a fixed schedule and have long periods of vacancy during holidays. A cooling system that responds to this prevents unnecessary energy use in empty classrooms.
The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) assesses not only whether a school is cooled, but also how intelligently it does so. In schools, this domain has a relative weighting factor of 1 within the methodology, which reflects the fact that heating and ventilation typically carry greater weight.
Which services are assessed?
Within the Cooling domain (C), the SRI examines multiple smart-ready services. These services are divided into functionality levels, ranging from 0 (no automatic control) to 3 or 4 (advanced, grid-connected control).
- Cooling delivery control: from no control to individual room control with occupancy detection.
- Interlock: prevents heating and cooling from working against each other in the same room.
- Thermal energy storage: storing cold when this is advantageous.
- Chiller control and sequencing: determines how efficiently multiple cooling units work together.
- Reporting and grid flexibility: provides insights into performance and the ability to respond to electricity grid demands.
For schools, the interlock function and following the timetable are particularly relevant in practice. Many school buildings still have older installations with time clocks, which score at the lower levels.
What does this mean for a school's score?
A school with only time clocks and no room control scores at level 0 or 1 on most cooling services. Investments in individual room control or interlock between heating and cooling raise the functionality level directly.
Because the Cooling domain counts with a relative weighting factor of 1, improvements here have a noticeable but not dominant effect on the overall SRI score. Other domains, such as ventilation and heating, are often equally decisive for schools.
What this means for you
- Owner
- A school board or building owner should first inventory the current level of existing cooling control, particularly for older installations with time clocks. Targeted improvements, such as interlock between heating and cooling or linking cooling to the school timetable, deliver the most benefit within a limited budget.
- Tenant
- Students and teachers notice the difference mainly in classroom comfort: fewer overheated or too-cold spaces during teaching hours. Outside school hours and during holidays, the cooling system runs less or not at all, without compromising comfort during lessons.
- Advisor
- An advisor assessing the SRI for a school should verify whether the cooling system actually follows the school timetable and whether simultaneous heating and cooling is prevented. Also consider the interaction with other domains: for schools, ventilation and heating often determine a larger share of the total score than cooling.
Next step
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