Modular school receives modern upgrades thanks to Scottish Government scheme

Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School is now a more comfortable learning environment thanks to Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund

A decarbonisation project at Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School in South Lanarkshire has completely transformed a modular, prefabricated school into a warm, watertight learning environment for staff and pupils.

Run by South Lanarkshire Council, the school was built at the turn of the millennium when funds for capital projects were centrally imposed and strongly controlled. As a result, it was constructed using a modular, prefab technique, which the council has long recognised would not be suitable for long-term needs or net zero targets.

Stephen Gibson, council executive director of housing and technical resources, said: “Our Lady of Lourdes Primary, similar to many of the other schools across our estate, was built in more ‘recent’ decades.

“We’re in quite a unique position as it is a relatively modern estate, but it doesn’t meet net zero standard, so it still needs to be retrofit.”

As a result of the construction technique, the building was noted to experience multiple issues including problems with water ingress, which occurs when water from outside makes its way into a building. 

Additionally, the 23-year-old gas boiler providing heating and hot water to the school had begun to fail.

Recognising an opportunity to retrofit and upgrade the building alongside a planned school extension, the council applied for grant funding through Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund when it became available in mid-2023.

The project was awarded £1.2 million in funding through the scheme, which is delivered by our teams at Salix on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Due to difficulties associated with the modular nature of the build of the school, the council cited its ambitions to address one of the most challenging sites first. 

Modular buildings can be challenging to retrofit because of the original way the materials were connected when they were installed. This can cause difficulties when looking to upgrade specific elements of the building such as the windows.

Stephen added: “The school is probably one of the most challenging sites in terms of construction and we wanted this to act as a demonstrator for other schools planning similar projects. 

“If we could successfully overcome challenges to achieve success at one of our most challenging sites, we knew we could replicate a programme that would work across our estate – and that’s just what we’ve done.” 

The project saw the old boiler removed and replaced with a zero direct emissions air source heat pump for space heating and hot water at the school. Accompanying energy measures included the introduction of triple-glazed windows, roof insulation, cavity wall insulation, lighting controls and a remotely-managed building energy management system. 

When combined, these measures are expected to save the school £903 in annual energy bills and 48.56 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. 

A 48.56-tonne reduction in carbon emissions is equivalent to driving 450,463 miles in the average petrol car – enough to get you from London to Glasgow more than 1,300 times*.

Where the building was previously known for being cold, humid and damp, the council is now confident in its ability to provide a warm and comfortable learning environment for pupils throughout the winter months.

Although the exact difference the retrofit has made is unlikely to be felt in full until the further depths of winter, the council has already received feedback confirming the issues with water ingress haven’t presented since the works were finished.

Zoe Hurst, our programme coordinator who has been supporting the council, said: “This project will make a positive difference toward not only the council’s net zero targets, but also to improving the learning and working environment for pupils and staff.

“By starting with an approach that aimed to tackle one of the most complex school sites on its estate, the council has laid strong and solid foundations to ensure success in future works.

“Additionally, the council has reached an exciting milestone as the first project funded through Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund to complete – a massive congratulations to all involved!”

You can read more about this exciting milestone and what it means for council staff and school pupils via the news story on our website.

 * Carbon calculations have been generated through a tool created by our carbon and technical experts here at Salix. The intention is to provide carbon savings estimates to aid with a common understanding of emission data and statistics. These estimates are approximate; it is not recommended to use this tool for formal carbon emissions analysis. The tool uses UK government conversion factors alongside emissions estimates sourced from various studies, but it is possible a margin of error may exist. For more information about the formulas and methodology used in this tool, please contact us at [email protected]. E&OE.