Environmental adjustments of the mobile preschools in Uppsala

Abstract: The mobile preschools of Uppsala are buses that are provided as a complement for stationary preschools. The buses are connected to one stationary preschool that provides the necessities such as food and a place for the children to be before and after the daily trips. In Uppsala, there are five mobile preschool buses and they have been operated since 2009. For the bus to provide heat, warm food and energy for activities on the bus, there is a generator installed that runs on biodiesel. The emissions from the generator, in combination with the loud noises that it emits, are of concern for both the children and educators on the bus as well as the people around it. This has caused for alternative ways to deliver electricity to the bus. This study examines three scenarios for delivering electricity and tries to evaluate what the best option could be from different Points of view. The three scenarios are replacing the generator with either a battery, replacing the generator with electricity poles and to replace the generator with a more efficient and quieter one. When evaluating the different scenarios from an economical point of view, the study found that the electricity poles would be the best option. When evaluating the best option with respect to the children and educators, the study found that the battery would be the best option. The negative consequences for continuing to use a generator to supply electricity would be a health hazard for the children and a limitation for the educators in the freedom of choosing location for the bus to visit.