Spectrasol’s unique lighting, a photovoltaic power plant, and a recovery unit. This is the latest result of the cooperation between the city of Olomouc, the Veolia group, and the Czech company Spectrasol. This time, the modern gadgets are available at Stupkova Elementary School in Olomouc. Following the kindergarten Barevný svět, it is another educational facility that saves energy and provides a better environment for children and teachers. The handover of the modern solution for use took place symbolically on the first day of the new school year.
Twelve Spectrasol lights in two classrooms provide the necessary comfort for teaching. “The lights have a balanced light spectrum with an emphasis on the azure component, which is key for the functioning of our internal clocks. This is essential for mental well-being and thinking. At the same time, the lights have a long-term impact on the health and vitality of students and teachers. The lights behave very similarly to natural sunlight and are protected by international patents,” said lighting technician and pioneer of biologically optimized lighting Hynek Medřický, co-owner of Spectrasol, who collaborated on the project with Veolia.
Another device installed at the school is a recovery unit with an active cooling function during the summer months. The recovery unit ensures optimal classroom ventilation without the need to open windows. Thanks to it, the concentration of carbon dioxide will stay below the recommended level. Children will breathe better, not get tired, and maintain better focus. The cooling will solve the problem of classroom overheating during periods of high outdoor temperatures. The unit is quiet, operates independently for one classroom, and is controlled according to the concentration of carbon dioxide and predefined time schedules. Combined with cognitive lighting in the classroom, it creates an optimal environment for teaching.
“Energy savings are among our priorities, and in the current tense times, they are even more important than before. I am glad that in cooperation with Veolia, we manage to equip city-managed facilities with smart elements that combine savings and greater user comfort. We wanted to test them primarily in schools and kindergartens, and it has proven successful,” said the mayor of Olomouc, Mirek Žbánek, about the project.
“We have been cooperating with the city for a long time and strive to meet its needs as a heat supplier, but we also bring something extra. We use both our experience and the focus of other Veolia group companies that deal with smart systems. The result is interesting projects tailored to individual buildings that help save energy and finances and improve their indoor environment,” added Kamil Vrbka, director of the Moravia region of Veolia Energie, who collaborated on the project with the subsidiary Veolia Smart Systems.
Solar panels on the roof of one of the school buildings will produce electricity for a year, which would amply cover the consumption of an average apartment. During the school year, most of the electricity will be consumed in the school, and the summer overflow from the power plant will be stored in the distribution system. The school is thus partially self-sufficient and not entirely dependent on external electricity. Visualization of the current and total production of the photovoltaic power plant is displayed in the school’s entrance hall on a television screen. Pupils and other visitors to the school will get an idea of the produced electric energy.
“Each such project helps us and has its significance. It has long been shown that the most effective way to reduce energy costs is not only through building insulation but mainly through the installation of modern solutions. We take care of about 90 school buildings in our 31 elementary and kindergartens, and according to current calculations, we must consider an increase in expenses by up to 40 percent due to the rise in energy prices,” explains Deputy for Education Karel Konečný. The total value of the current project financed by Veolia is 847,000 CZK.
Translated using AI
