Coláiste Éamann Rí – National Winners of the Green-Schools Energy School of the Year 2026 (Secondary Schools) 

Coláiste Éamann Rí is a mixed secondary school in Cork with 750 students and 83 staff. They held student elections to decide who should be on their Green-Schools committee, with each candidate given the opportunity to showcase their ideas, enthusiasm, and commitment to making their school more sustainable. Once the results were in, the committee rolled up their sleeves and set to work on their environmental review. 

The Review

Conducting an environmental review is an essential part of the Green-Schools Energy theme, giving valuable data on where the school is wasting energy and what steps can be taken to remedy it. The committee kicked things off with an audit of lighting and appliances in the school, looking for signs of energy being used unnecessarily. Next, they carried out surveys on energy use at school and at home, covering draughts, insulation, standby devices and thermostat settings. Then, they investigated Ireland’s renewable and non-renewable energy sources and EirGrid’s role in delivering electricity to their school via the national grid. 

The Plan

The students on the Green-Schools committee set themselves the target of reducing energy waste in the school by at least 10%. They decided they wanted to do this by raising awareness about how to avoid energy waste across the whole school. The students hosted an art competition to design posters promoting energy conservation. A “Light Knight” was also appointed in each classroom, with the responsibility of making sure all lights were being switched off when the class left the room. 

Later in the school year, the committee worked with the geography department on the feasibility of having a wind turbine installed. After discussing different ways the turbine could be used, the students hit upon the brilliant idea of having it charge the electric scooters that some of their classmates rode to school on. Going a step further, the committee then petitioned the school principal to consider having solar panels installed on the school site. Both initiatives were acted upon, and the school can now produce its own renewable energy onsite from these sources. 

Monitoring and Evaluating

The Green-Schools committee met fortnightly to review progress, share any news and update their action plan. They appointed energy monitors in each classroom to check that all lights, projectors and electronic devices were being switched off or powered down when not in use. The audits for lights and appliances were also repeated several times during the school year to track improvement in areas that had been identified during their first energy audit as contributing to energy waste in the school. Surveys also were conducted before and after the committee’s energy saving campaigns to gauge how successful the campaigns had been at increasing awareness of energy-saving practices and attitudes around the school. 

Curriculum Links

Energy and sustainability were woven across the whole curriculum, from 1st to 6th year. Students in Science, Physics, Chemistry and Biology explored forms of energy, energy transfer and efficiency, fuels and alternative energy sources and ecosystems, with Physics linking directly to the school’s wind turbine project.  

Technology students designed projects on solar power, wind turbines and energy efficiency. Geography, History and Politics and Society examined renewable and non-renewable energy, carbon emissions, the environmental impact of industrialisation and government policy on climate action, including laws and policies relating to EirGrid.  

Practical and applied subjects brought the theme closer to home. Maths students collected and graphed data on classroom energy use, litter and transport habits, while Home Economics looked at household energy use and appliance energy ratings. Business Studies weighed up energy costs and environmental impacts as part of budgeting, and Horticulture explored composting, sustainable gardening and energy-efficient greenhouse practices.  

Values and personal responsibility were developed through CSPE projects and debates on waste reduction and responsible travel, SPHE’s focus on active travel and energy-saving habits, Religion’s discussions on stewardship, and P.E.’s promotion of active travel. Students also expressed their learning creatively, through Art projects using recycled and upcycled materials (including Junk Couture) and English reports and speeches on energy, climate change and sustainable travel. 

Informing and Involving

As part of the school’s journey towards the Green-Schools Energy flag, students took part in the WEEE Ireland Schools Battery Recycling Competition 2024–2025. Official WEEE collection boxes were placed around the building, and students took charge of the campaign, monitoring the boxes and managing the collection. Green-Schools Committee members counted and recorded every battery, giving them a real sense of how many batteries a single school community uses and throws away. By the end of the campaign, students had gathered over 4,000 used batteries, a remarkable result. 

To raise awareness further, students organised a Low Energy Day. Non-essential lights and equipment were switched off, and classes discussed practical ways to cut energy use at school and at home, helping students connect battery use, electricity consumption and the value of conserving energy. 

Once the collection was complete, the Green-Schools Committee arranged for WEEE Ireland to collect the batteries for safe recycling. Along the way, students learned how valuable materials such as lithium and cobalt are recovered, and why batteries pose an environmental risk when thrown out with general waste. The project built on the school’s earlier Litter & Waste work while tying directly into the Energy theme, encouraging responsible consumption and lasting sustainable habits across the school community. 

Green Code

“Be bright, turn off the light!” 

Posters with this slogan were placed in every room of the school. By putting the posters next to the light switches, classes were given a helpful daily reminder to be more mindful of energy consumption.