Saltburn schools are harnessing the power of the sun after 140 solar panels have been fixed to the sports hall roof.
Saltburn Learning Campus - incorporating Huntcliff School and Saltburn Primary School - has just had the panels installed, making Huntcliff the first secondary school in the area to have so many.
The panels form part of a solar power project in conjunction with Redcar and Cleveland Council’s renewables programme, which has been running since April 2010.
The programme, which aims to be completed this month, has involved a total capital investment of £700,000 in clean green energy technologies.
Other projects have been based at local primary schools, as well as care homes, visitor centres and museums.
Installations have also taken place in new Redcar buildings including The Hub and My Place, as well as the new Civic Heart, still under construction.
The Saltburn campus’s scheme is worth £44,000 and should provide power to the schools for 20 to 30 years, generated by the panels.
Heather Ollerenshaw, the school’s community and marketing co-ordinator, said: “The newly installed panels convert the sun’s energy into direct current electricity that’s then converted to useable power via an inverter unit.
Power feeds directly into the schools and means less electricity has to be imported from the national grid. It’s expected the system will deliver enough power to save the campus more than £2,000 each year and reduce its carbon footprint.
The borough council will recoup the initial investment via the Government’s Feed-in-Tariff scheme.
An energy display will be visible in the main atrium area of the campus so students, staff and visitors can see how much power’s being used at that exact moment. It will also show the total used since installation and the amount of carbon dioxide saved.
The panels will offer financial advantage, and will also be beneficial to students, providing a unique method of educating them on the issue of renewable energy and sustainability.”
Pupil Erin Hannaway, nine, of Saltburn Primary School, said: “It’s a good idea and will teach children about a natural lifestyle and help Saltburn become cleaner.”
Huntcliff student Luke Plumpton, 16, of Saltburn, said: “It will promote the use of clean energy, create more awareness - and save money.”
Saltburn has maintained much of its original charm as a Victorian seaside resort including its pier, the colourful Italian gardens and walks through Riftswood. Whatever you need to know about Saltburn by the Sea this is the place to start. Read the local news and add your own comments and views!
No comments:
Post a Comment