Riyadh: The National Energy Services Company (Tarshid), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and relevant entities, emphasizes the importance of the impact of its efforts across government schools throughout the Kingdom through the Government Schools Retrofit Program as part of its projects aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption across government buildings. As one of the largest energy efficiency initiatives in the education sector, the program reflects Tarshid's continued role in enhancing energy efficiency across government public education buildings and supporting the sustainability objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the program's retrofit works covered more than 17,000 government schools, including the replacement of more than 8.3 million lighting units with high-efficiency LED lighting and the installation of more than 183,000 motion sensors, contributing to greater lighting efficiency and improved energy performance across educational facilities. Tarshid is also expanding its efforts to include renewable energy through the installation of solar energy systems for self-consumption at government schools. These measures target collective annual energy savings of approximately 500 million kWh, equivalent to the environmental impact of planting more than 4.7 million seedlings annually and saving approximately 800,000 barrels of oil equivalent annually.
The works were carried out according to carefully planned operational schedules to ensure the continuity of the educational process. National talent oversaw all stages of implementation, including planning, field surveys, and operational follow-up across various regions of the Kingdom.
Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of Tarshid Waled bin Abdullah Al Ghreri commented: 'The Government Schools Retrofit Program highlights one of Tarshid's core mandates to advance energy efficiency solutions across the government sector. We are proud of the impact of our efforts in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and relevant entities, in improving energy performance across thousands of schools throughout the Kingdom, supporting more efficient and sustainable educational environments and promoting the concept of energy efficiency for future generations, while contributing to the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.'
He added: 'Energy efficiency solutions are complemented by solar energy systems for self-consumption on school rooftops, initially targeting 5,200 schools. This enhances the utilization of renewable energy sources and supports energy sustainability across the education sector.'
The Tarshid, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, leads the development of the Kingdom's energy services sector by delivering energy efficiency projects for government buildings and street lighting, as well as developing solar energy solutions. Tarshid also provides tailored energy efficiency solutions for the commercial and industrial sectors, contributing to the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, advancing sustainability, reducing harmful emissions and supporting the national economy.
