From indicators to strategies: Key Performance Strategies for sustainable energy use in Portuguese school buildings.

The increase of complexity in school buildings to ensure for users comfort and social and functional demands are changing energy consumption patterns. In the Portuguese context, a recent rise in energy consumption, after a major national refurbishment programme, confirms the need to improve energy management in schools in order to reduce their environmental impact. Besides building design and systems, users are also a determining factor impacting energy consumption in buildings. However, behavioural issues are still among the areas least covered by scientific literature. The present paper analyses the energy consumption patterns of eight Portuguese case-study schools, with a methodological approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The approach made it possible to link the energy consumption patterns of the schools (selected as Key Performance Indicators) with the user behaviour and management strategies. As a result, six Key Performance Strategies (KPS) were identified so as potentially to enhance the energy performance of school buildings through use and management. Some of the identified KPS can be implemented directly through school management policies to reduce energy use and enhance efficiency. Others can be incorporated in future building design strategies. Some have the potential for being hereafter integrated into the simulation models of buildings’ energy performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]