The “Elie Radu” Energy Technology High School in Ploiești is Romania’s largest public school renovated under the EU’s nearly zero-energy building standards (NZEB). With the use of innovative energy efficient measures, the school’s energy consumption was reduced by 60 percent, and a large part of the consumed energy is produced onsite from solar photovoltaic and thermal panels.

A nearly zero-energy building (NZEB) is a building with a very high energy performance, while a large share of the nearly zero or very low amount of consumed energy is produced from renewable sources, onsite or nearby. High energy performance means its energy consumption is very low. The concept of NZEB is to jointly apply renewable energy and energy efficiency measures.

With the energy renovation, which started last summer, the school’s average yearly energy consumption was reduced by 60 percent. The school also produces electricity and heat with solar photovoltaic and thermal panels.

The building can meet its energy consumption needs, almost entirely during summer, from its own sources, according to the website of the România Eficientă project under which a EUR 1 million renovation was implemented.

România Eficientă said it was the first private investment of its kind and the largest renovation project applying NZEB standards in a public school.

The renovated building includes classrooms and a dormitory with a total of 1,500 square meters. It is used by about 250 pupils and 60 teaching staff members, while about 80 pupils are accommodated in the dormitory.

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