School · Heating
Heating in school: what the SRI measures
The heating domain looks at how smartly a building controls its heat: per room or centrally, based on occupancy and outdoor temperature, and whether the boiler or heat pump follows demand. Heat storage and fault reporting are part of it too.
In short
- 1This page shows how schools can manage heating intelligently according to the Smart Readiness Indicator.
- 2In schools, the heating domain carries maximum weight: 3 out of 3 points.
- 3Fixed timetables and long holidays make automatic control per classroom and per time slot particularly valuable.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat emission control H-1a · A · 5 levels | No automatic control | Individual room control with communication and occupancy detection | highest level |
| Emission control for TABS (heating mode) H-1b · 4 levels | No automatic control | Advanced central automatic control with intermittent operation and/or room temperature feedback control | – |
| Storage and shifting of thermal energy H-1c · A · 3 levels | None | HW storage vessels controlled based on external signals (from BACS or grid) | highest level |
| Control of distribution pumps in networks H-1d · 5 levels | No automatic control | Variable speed pump control (external demand signal) | – |
| Thermal Energy Storage (TES) for building heating (excluding TABS) H-1f · 4 levels | Continuous storage operation | Heat storage capable of flexible control through grid signals (e.g. DSM) | – |
| Heat generator control (all except heat pumps) H-2a · A · 3 levels | Constant temperature control | Variable temperature control depending on the load (e.g. depending on supply water temperature set point) | highest level |
| Heat generator control (for heat pumps) H-2b · A · 4 levels | On/Off-control of heat generator | Variable control of heat generator capacity depending on the load AND external signals from grid | highest level |
| Sequencing in case of different heat generators H-2d · 5 levels | Priorities only based on running time | Control according to dynamic priority list (based on current AND predicted load, energy efficiency, carbon emissions, capacity of generators AND external signals from grid) | – |
| Report information regarding heating system performance H-3 · A · 5 levels | None | Central or remote reporting of performance evaluation including forecasting and/or benchmarking; also including predictive management and fault detection | highest level |
| Flexibility and grid interaction H-4 · 5 levels | No automatic control | Optimized control of heating system based on local predictions and grid signals (e.g. through model predictive control) | – |
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 28 percentage points (from 24 to 52 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does heating carry such high weight in schools?
The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) measures how intelligently a building's technical systems operate. For schools, the heating domain receives the highest weighting: 3 out of 3. This reflects school usage patterns: fixed lesson schedules, full classrooms at set times, and long periods of vacancy during holidays.
A heating system that automatically adapts to this rhythm delivers relatively high savings in schools. Intelligently controlled heating prevents classrooms from being heated when no one is present.
Which smart-ready services count?
Within the heating domain, the SRI examines multiple smart-ready services. Heat emission control (H-1a) assesses whether a classroom has its own thermostat, whether controllers communicate with the building management system (BMS), and whether occupancy is detected.
Heat generation also counts. For a boiler or heat pump (H-2a and H-2b), the SRI checks whether temperature is fixed, adapts to outdoor temperature, or responds to actual heat demand.
The indicator also evaluates distribution pumps (H-1d), sequencing of multiple heat generators (H-2d), reporting on system performance (H-3), and the extent to which heating can respond to electricity grid signals (H-4).
What does this mean for older schools?
Many school buildings still have systems with simple time clocks. This corresponds to functionality level 1: central automatic control without feedback per room or demand.
A step toward individual room control with occupancy detection, or toward a heat generator that adapts to actual load, already delivers noticeable improvement. With limited budgets, prioritizing is therefore wise: not everything needs replacing at once.
How does this relate to mandatory building automation?
Apart from the SRI, some schools already face a requirement for building automation, depending on heating installation capacity. The SRI itself is a voluntary instrument, but the European Commission must adopt a delegated act by 30 June 2027 that is expected to make the indicator mandatory for utility buildings with installations above 290 kW.
For schools with heating capacity above that threshold, it makes sense to review the score on this domain now.
What this means for you
- Owner
- Have the school's heating system assessed for existing functionality levels, especially in older installations with only time clocks. Targeted investment in room-by-room control or demand-driven heat generation delivers relatively high returns in schools, given the high weighting of this domain.
- Tenant
- Students and teachers notice better air quality and more stable classroom temperature when heating responds to occupancy and use. With an older system of fixed time clocks, a classroom may feel too cold or too warm outside scheduled lesson times.
- Advisor
- When assessing schools, focus specifically on services H-1a, H-2a or H-2b, and H-3, as these make the greatest difference between functionality levels in a building with fixed lesson schedules. Account for the limited budgets of many schools by prioritizing improvements based on impact criteria rather than proposing complete replacement.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?