Tim Bailey / Head, Energy Innovation Group, SRUK

Underpinned by Samsung’s CSR vision ‘Together For Tomorrow! Enabling People’, Samsung Research UK worked with the SEUK CSR team to set-up the Energy in Schools (EiS) programme. EiS gives pupils and teachers a toolkit to learn about climate change, energy consumption, and crucially how IoT can be used as a solution to a real-world problem.

Currently operating in 23 schools UK-wide and reaching over 9,000 children, it aims to educate and equip pupils to monitor and reduce their school’s energy usage using the Internet of Things (IoT).

Despite being one of the fastest growing areas of technology and a huge focus of conversation in and out of the workplace, IoT is still quite an alien concept to most children. Recognising the need to educate and equip future generations with practical IoT skills, Energy in Schools offers a unique and hands-on education programme to teach pupils what IoT is, and how it can be used to help solve real world issues such as climate change.

The programme gives schools access to a unique energy management platform that shows real-time energy usage, pricing and carbon emissions data using Samsung SmartThings and smart sensors installed throughout the school.

Then, using lesson plans developed by education experts, teachers can educate pupils on both climate change and how to use micro:bits (small codeable devices which if connected to the internet can be turned into IoT devices) connected to their school’s SmartThings platform as a means to collect and visualise their own sets of energy data, as well as to program devices to save energy.

For example, pupils can code a micro:bit to report back data on the energy flowing through a power cord (The micro:bit features a magnetometer, used to sense changes in proximal magnetic fields). They can then use this information within their code to control SmartThings devices, for example flashing a smart light bulb when a device is powered on.

In addition, a number of pupils in the school are nominated as “Energy Champions”, which means they also learn how to do an energy audit of their school using the energy management platform, smart power outlets, temperature sensors and micro:bits. They then work with teachers and facilities staff to draw up an action plan for the school to reduce energy usage, as well as encourage and support other pupils to get involved.

Energy in Schools is led by Samsung with partners University of Lancaster, Centre for Sustainable Energy, My Utility Genius Commercial and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

If you are interested in finding out more about Energy in Schools please email tim.bailey@samsung.com