ECO BUILDING PRODUCTS HELPS LINCOLNSHIRE SCHOOL HARVEST POWER FROM THE SUN

Eco Building Products (www.eco-building-products.co.uk) has supplied the photovoltaic (PV) panels for an installation on the roof of Long Sutton Primary School in Lincolnshire.

Photovoltaic panels produce electricity from daylight, generating useable power even on cloudy days.

Eco Building Products supplied 42 Hyundai 230 Watt photovoltaic panels containing polycrystalline modules for the installation, which will generate more than 9 kW of electricity for the school when operating at full power. This has substantially reduced the school’s bills for electricity from the grid.

Lark Energy (www.larkenergy.co.uk), the newest company in the Larkfleet Group, oversaw the planning and installation of the project and installation of the panels, working closely with local group partners including accredited Micro Generation Certified Scheme (MCS) installers FE Peacock and Cawood Electrical.

Long Sutton Primary School will also benefit from the government’s Feed in Tariff (FIT), which guarantees payments for the generation of energy from renewable energy technologies such as photovoltaic panels. The school’s governing body is re-investing the money generated from FIT in further energy-efficiency projects at the school.

The new installation is just the first part of the school’s ambition to achieve success on its ‘environmental journey’ in the Eco Schools scheme (www.eco-schools.org.uk). It is currently working towards the Bronze award which it is estimated the school will achieve over the next school term.

The school governing body’s long term vision is to reduce energy consumption, carbon emissions and energy costs at the school. At the same time it is seeking to engage the pupils and staff with coordinating its current sustainability activities such as waste recycling and monitoring energy usage with its teaching and environmental education goals. 

School bursar Mark Lunn, said: “Long Sutton Primary is a friendly, exciting school to learn in. We pride ourselves on making education stimulating, meaningful and fun and wholeheartedly believe in teaching our children the value and importance of how to look after our environment.

“The school is already part of the Healthy Schools scheme and grows all sorts of fruit and vegetables thanks to the children’s gardening club and their rapidly expanding vegetable patch. We have teaching staff that are passionate both about the teaching as well as the eco-direction the school is taking. The next phase is to involve the children in developing ideas for energy saving, waste reduction and sustainability.  Exciting times lie ahead.”

Ian Greenfield of Eco Building Products commented: “This project was a pleasure to work on as it will benefit the school for years to come. 

“The school will benefit from the Feed in Tariff which will see significant reductions in fuel bills. Eco Building Products hopes to work on many similar projects in the near future.”