The student group SONE (hereinafter referred to as SONE) held a workshop called "InSONEtion: DIY for a Comfortable Classroom" on August 31st and September 1st to install double-glazed windows and insulation in the walls of classrooms to create energy-efficient, comfortable classrooms that are cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Towards a decarbonized society by 2050, reducing energy consumption in the building sector, which accounts for approximately 30% of total energy consumption in Japan, is essential and one of the major challenges. With the motto of "energy-saving activities that don't force students," SONE has been promoting energy-saving awareness activities both on and off campus since 2018. In the past, they have conducted temperature surveys in classrooms and student questionnaires, and proposed to the university that classrooms with poor heating and cooling efficiency be fitted with double-glazed windows, which led to the renovation.
After visiting a DIY insulation workshop held in Nagano Prefecture in December 2021, the students explored the possibility of insulating classrooms and proposed the idea to the university. With the cooperation of Energy Machizukuri Co., Ltd. and Abiru Construction Co., Ltd., a company run by a graduate of the university, the workshop was realized.
During the two-day workshop, under the guidance of a professional, the students carried out the following tasks in classroom 413, Building 4, which could benefit from renovation:
- Installing insulation on reinforced concrete walls and finishing with boards
- Installation and creation of inner windows in wall openings
- Simple interior windows made of hollow polycarbonate were installed in the partition openings between the hallway and classrooms.
- Preventing gaps in entrance doors with mohair tape
Despite struggling with unfamiliar tools, the students managed to transform the wall next to the windows, which had been reinforced concrete, into a classroom with a warm and inviting appearance by using wood, which has poor thermal conductivity.
In addition to the workshop, we had lectures from Professor Masayoshi Takeuchi (Tohoku University of Art and Design) and Akira Uchiyama from Energy Machidukuri Co., Ltd. The students were shocked by the poor insulation standards in Japanese buildings, and further felt the importance of the insulation workshop.
When measuring energy consumption after the workshop, there was an unfortunate incident where measurements could not be taken due to power supply problems caused by power outages, but the effects are scheduled to be measured again in November and December when temperatures drop.
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