An Ilfracombe school will set a shining example when it becomes the first school in town powered by renewable energy technology using sunshine.
29 May 2008
Electricity at Ilfracombe C of E Junior School will be generated by solar panels being installed on the roof during the half-term holiday (May 27 to May 30).
The 51 panels, costing nearly £50,000, have been jointly funded by EDF Energy’s Green Fund and the Low Carbon Building Programme.
The 10.2kW panels, installed by NaturalWatt, will help power white boards, computers and lights, saving 3.7tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. In the autumn, solar thermal panels will be installed to reduce the amount of gas used to heat water in the kitchens for washing-up. Together the schemes will result in a 10 per cent reduction in electricity use and a 70 per cent reduction in water heating for the kitchen.
Inside the school building each classroom will have web-based access to live data showing how much electricity has been generated by the technology and how much carbon dioxide saved. The children will use the data in their lessons.
Chris Howard, co-ordinator of the project, said: “Using renewable energy in our school shows we are serious about making a difference to the environment and want to be responsible with the resources we have. It’s really important to me that we make power from the sun, but the educational benefits are greater.
“Hundreds of our pupils will be able to collect live data relating to renewable energy at our school and it will actually mean something because the information is changing every few minutes.
“It looks like we are one of the front-runners in north Devon to retrofit this technology in our school. That will reduce our running costs and enable us to investment more money in education. We are extremely grateful to EDF Energy and the Low Carbon Building Programme for helping us. Without their support this wouldn’t have happened.”
Headteacher Catherine Cox said: “It’s a great feeling to know that our vision is finally coming to fruition. This project will not only support our planet’s sustainable future but will promote our future generation’s knowledge and understanding of the importance of seeking and using renewable energy sources … and how great that we have shown that it can be done in such a traditional school building.”
Peter Hofman, EDF Energy’s Director Sustainable Future, said: “We are delighted to support this significant solar scheme in a school where pupils are so actively involved in caring for the environment. The school is encouraging carbon savings through behavioural changes which involve all the pupils.
“Young people have their whole lives ahead of them as energy consumers and children at this school are learning how small changes make a big difference to the environment. This solar project is the next step and will give thousands of children a first-hand experience of renewable energy in their own school grounds. It is a practical way to teach them about the challenges of climate change and make renewable energy part of their everyday experience.”
The school has already introduced measures to conserve resources. There is an active eco-team involving both teachers and children. One of the members, Niqui Moore, has set up and runs the school’s recycling of paper, cardboard, stamps, printer cartridges, spectacles, mobile phones and batteries, reducing waste to landfill by more than 30 per cent. The school also runs a hit squad to turn off lights and close doors each time children leave the classroom. Every week the school composts over 60kg of school dinners and lunch waste, which is used in the organic vegetable garden.
EDF Energy has awarded £3.6million to 200 renewable energy projects since the Green Fund was launched in 2001. Its purpose is to showcase renewable energy projects which produce power from the sun, wind, water and geothermal sources that reduce the greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
Awards of up to £30,000 are available for projects in England, Scotland and Wales and such funds have helped schools, charities, local authorities, churches, water mills and other non-profit organisations to generate clean, green energy in their own community. Larger grants of up to £50,000 were available previously for more exceptional schemes.
EDF Energy has supported the installation of a wide range of technologies, including wind turbines and solar panels, along with less well-established technologies such as biomass boilers, ground source heat pumps and micro hydropower generators.
The awards are provided by EDF Energy in partnership with customers who choose renewable energy for their home through its Green Tariff. This tariff gives consumers an active choice in driving demand for renewable energy as EDF Energy purchases renewable energy to the value of their consumption. Customers who join the tariff pay an extra 0.4p per unit of electricity they use, which is less than £15 a year for the average household. This money is matched pound for pound by EDF Energy to provide the grants awarded by the Green Fund.
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For further information, please contact Niamh Arnett in the EDF Energy press office on 01293 509153.
Notes to editors: 1. EDF Energy is one of the UK’s largest energy companies. We provide power to a quarter of the UK’s population via our electricity distribution networks in London, the South East and the East of England. We supply gas and electricity to over 5 million customers and generate about 5GW of energy from our coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. The company is also a key player in national infrastructure projects including management of private electricity networks serving four London airports and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the country’s first new railway in 100 years. We employ nearly 13,000 people at locations across the UK. EDF Energy is a core part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies.
2. Customers can choose renewable energy for their home by calling 0800 096 9696 and requesting information on EDF Energy’s Green Tariff. Each Green Tariff customer receives an energy efficiency pack including a free home energy survey, information on energy efficiency grants, energy efficiency advice and two low energy light bulbs which can save £18 per year on your electricity bill. This more than covers the amount an average household will pay on our Green Tariff.