Heating failure in Mainz-Bretzenheim: Students remain in homeschooling!

Heating failure in Mainz-Bretzenheim: Students remain in homeschooling!

In Mainz-Bretzenheim, the integrated comprehensive school has been largely closed since Monday. The reason for the disused rooms is a defective heating system, which caused temperatures to drop to only around 15 degrees. Pupils and teachers had to switch to homeschooling for the time being, which means a significant change for the families affected.

The headmaster reported that the heating had repeatedly caused problems in the past. Instead of a sustainable solution, only short-term patches were carried out, even though the old heating system was last removed at the end of the summer. A replacement device was ordered, but it remains unclear why this was not done sooner. To improve the situation, a heat pump should serve as a temporary solution. However, this has not yet been able to be connected.

Uncertain future

The school has informed parents that no classes can take place in the building until the end of October. It remains uncertain whether the heat pump will be ready for use by then and what heating output it can actually offer. In the worst case scenario, students will have to continue learning at home until the new heating system is installed. While the parents are upset about the late information, they show understanding for the school management, which sees the Mainz building industry as having a duty to provide clear information in this difficult situation.

Emergency care has been set up for the students and the digital infrastructure for distance learning is working. Teachers are willing to provide materials at school to make homeschooling easier. Nevertheless, the duration of the cold and the extent of homeschooling remains unclear, which is causing unrest for many in the school community.

Heat pumps in the classroom

The topic of heat pumps is not only relevant for school, but also part of the lessons in subjects that deal with renewable energies. Students learn how heat pumps work and their importance for sustainable heating. The heat pump technology is based on a closed circuit system that uses the principles of temperature regulation - similar to a refrigerator, only in reverse. The Federal Heat Pump Association e. V. describes the heat pump as a climate-friendly and future-proof heating alternative.

An important aspect that the students will cover is the annual performance factor (JAZ), which indicates how much heat is generated per unit of energy used. For example, a JAZ of 4 means that the heat pump emits an average of 4 kilowatts of heat for every kilowatt of electricity. Such values ​​are crucial to assess the efficiency of heat pumps and to operate them in an increasingly climate-friendly manner, especially with an increasing share of renewable energies in the electricity mix.

The challenge that many schools and buildings are currently overcoming underlines the importance of a solid heating solution and the possibilities of modern technologies, especially at a time when energy efficiency and sustainability are becoming increasingly important. We can only hope that the school in Mainz-Bretzenheim will quickly find a satisfactory solution and that both students and teachers will soon be able to use warm rooms for lessons again.