Energy Race
Create impact with energy saving!
Contribute with what you save!
The energy supply of the future must be sustainable, reliable, affordable and fair.
Unfortunately, this is not yet self-evident for 10% of Dutch households facing energy poverty to a greater or lesser extent. They can barely or not at all pay the energy bill and make huge compromises on living comfort.
We must tackle this!
The Energy Race: in action to save energy
During an Energy Race, 10 primary school classes in a municipality or region compete to save energy. The Energy Race combines education with energy saving measures and a cool campaign in the neighbourhood.
A race starts with an interactive guest lesson. This guest lecture discusses energy sources, the pros and cons of each source and how to save energy yourself. During the lecture, the emphasis is especially on low-key actions for saving energy, which are adoptable by everybody.
Then it's time for action! The children of groups 6,7 and/or 8 save energy by carrying out different actions during four weeks. By doing so, they earn points. The actions can be carried out at home, at school, at their sportassociation, in the neighbourhood and so on. The more impact, the more points!
In addition, the students can create a campaign and inspire others about energy saving. This can be done in the residential area, but also through the local, regional and national media.
The winning schools win a cool prize for the whole class!
A local approach
Many municipalities offer vouchers, coaching or other local actions to support its residents during the energy transition and/or in the context of energy poverty. The Energy Race provides a venue for these measures.
During the pilot in Eindhoven, students set up a campaign and encouraged local residents to apply for an Energy Box, including energy advice by a coach. These Energy Boxes contain all kinds of low-threshold energy-saving tools, which residents can install themselves or with the advice of an energy coach. With an Energy Box including advice, a household can save up to about 10% energy: on an annual basis, this is about 257 kWh, while a household in the Netherlands consumes an average of 2,479 kWh per year (source: milieucentraal.nl)
The students told their family, friends and the whole neighbourhood about the action. They could then sign up via Energyrace.org.
The organisation Energiebox processed the registrations and called people to schedule an appointment. Per registration, the participating school received extra points.
Pilot in Eindhoven
The first Energy Race is a fact! From 26 September to 20 October 2022, the first Energy Race took place. This pilot was made possible by the municipality of Eindhoven and Energy Boxes were deployed during this race. Duurzaamheid.nl posted a great article about the first Energy Race. Read it here!
The results? In Eindhoven, 411 pupils participated. During the Energy Race, 150 Energy Boxes were available, but already during the first week 108 Energy Boxes had been requested. This was the result of the student teams' campaigns.
The pupils carried out a total of 150 actions in their neighbourhoods and made five appearances in the media. The Energy Race thus makes energy saving and sustainable behaviour fun, educational and easy!
Collaboration
The Energy Race is a brand new project of Fawaka Ondernemersschool and Race Against Waste. Fawaka Ondernemersschool's mission is to introduce all children in the Netherlands to sustainable entrepreneurship. Race Against Waste's mission is to inspire everyone to participate in the transition to the circular economy in a fun, easy and practical way.
The result? Enterprising children working on sustainable behaviour and energy savings!
The Energy Race shows children and those around them that it is fun and easy to contribute to a sustainable society. The race concept is based on the concept of the E-Waste Race (2014) and the Textile Race (2020). Research by TU Eindhoven shows that the E-waste Race concept creates lasting behavioural change during and after a race. Also, recent research shows that children have the greatest influence on the sustainable behaviour of their parents: 'The Greta Effect'. As children influence their parents and environment, we take everyone along in the transition towards a circular economy.
Enthusiastic and want to organise an Energy Race with us? This is possible from 2023! Get in touch with us!
Did you know?
-... that ±10% of households in the Netherlands live in energy poverty?
-... that the Energy Race challenges group 6, 7 and 8 pupils to save as much energy as possible at home, at school, at the club or at the neighbours?
- ...that via the Energy Race, pupils campaign to get neighbours enthusiastic about energy-saving measures and insulation?
-... that the Energy Race brings local actions for energy saving and insulation (as part of the Energy Poverty Approach Scheme and the National Insulation Programme) to the attention of local residents?
- ...that during one Energy Race, pupils from 10 primary schools can carry out as many as 166 energy-saving actions in their neighbourhood?
