Background

The building of the Zvezdichka (Tiny star) kindergarten, one of the 48 kindergartens of the municipality of Varna, was built in 1985 and needed considerable repairs because of the worn out wooden window frames; the bad state of the building envelope that was not insulated and the outdated indoor lighting, which used the old type of inefficient luminaries.

The temperature inside the building was maintained at the necessary level for kindergartens, which required excessive quantities of fuel for heating and led to large energy bills.

Building details
Type of building	Kindergarten
Year built/ Floor area/ Operating hours	The building was erected in 1985 and has a floor area of 2,256 m2. It is used 50 hours per week from 7:30 a.m. to 17:30 p.m., from Monday to Friday.
Heating and cooling installed	Local naphtha-fuel boiler house
Energy label/ CO2 emissions	With the implementation of energy saving measures the building performance improved considerably, as can be seen from the Display® ratings. Although water consumption was also reduced during the reporting period, the reduction was not great enough to change the water class. 2005  Energy (kWh/m2/year): F class - 410  CO2 (kg/m2/year): G class - 94  Water (l/m2/year): G class - 1529 2006  Energy (kWh/m2/year): D class - 221  CO2 (kg/m2/year): D class - 52  Water (l/m2/year): G class - 1028

Project description
Aim	To improve indoor comfort for teachers and pupils, reduce energy costs and CO2 emissions, maintain the achieved parameters and reach at least Class B for energy use and CO2 emissions and D for water consumption.
Key points	Due to a lack of funds, thermal insulation was only installed on the northern façade of the building, as this is the coldest side. This is the usual practice for large municipalities like Varna, who have a great number of kindergartens and not enough money to completely insulate all of the buildings so they start with the northern façades. The company that installed the insulation was appointed after a tender and bidding process, although an energy audit was not carried out. It is expected that in the next few years, the rest of the building envelope will be insulated. The parents of the kindergarten children decided help fund the purchase of window weatherization strips. To save on labour costs, the parents installed the strips themselves, which greatly reduced the infiltration of cold air and improved the comfort of the rooms. The Zvezdichka kindergarten is included in the large scale programme for indoor lighting rehabilitation of all kindergartens within the municipality of Varna.
Reason for inclusion as Shining Example	What has been done in this kindergarten is the result of the dedication of the kindergarten’s management to energy efficiency issues. It also demonstrates the involvement of the children’s parents who have realised the importance of the simple measures for improving the comfort of their children.

Recommendations
Achievements	The example of Zdezdichka kindergarten shows that the results and achievements of a project depends to a great extent on the initiative and strong will of those involved. The Director of the kindergarten was greatly upset when she saw the Display poster for 2005 with the ratings for energy and water consumption and CO2 emissions. In 2005 she sent a request for help to the Education Department of the Varna municipality, who are responsible for all educational institutions in the territory. In 2006 the kindergarten was included in the municipal program for indoor lighting rehabilitation in schools and kindergartens. But the Director was still not satisfied - she wanted to get additional funds for the improvement of the building as soon as possible - and she succeeded. Energy and climate change are topics that have been well known to the Director and the teachers for several years now. The kindergarten has its own eco-room where the children are learn about different environmental issues, with materials and lessons appropriate for their age. As a result of these activities, the kindergarten has been awarded certificates recognising them as an “eco-kindergarten”. In Varna municipality, the monitoring and evaluation is undertaken by the kindergarten’s administration and the Education Department of the municipality. As the kindergarten’s administration is so dedicated to helping the environment, they will try to improve the results achieved through better energy and water management, regular checks and maintenance and changing the habits of both children and staff.
Lessons Learned	This type of project is applicable to all kindergartens of the Varna Municipality. If a similar project was being undertaken, it is recommended that a more complete set of energy efficiency measures is installed in order to achieve better results.