Renewable Energy - Barnet schools to get renewable energy

12/05/2008

Hertfordshire primary schools are set to undergo a refurbishment programme which will introduce them to the benefits of renewable energy sources, it has been reported.

As part of Barnet council's primary school capital investment programme (PSCIP), six primary schools will be refurbished with improvements built in to make them more sustainable, according to the Hendon Times.

The design for Whitings Hill School in Underhill, which will also be used a basis for the other five sites, involves a building for around 420 pupils and will also see the construction of a new swimming pool.

Renewable energy will be central to the design, with solar panels, rainwater collection tanks, a ground source heat pump, a wind turbine and solar water heating expecting to supply 20 per cent of the building's energy needs.

Councillor John Marshall, cabinet member for investment in learning, commented to the newspaper: "This will be a two-form entry school that will provide the children of Underhill ward with a great start in life."

In related news, a report from the BRE Trust has said that schools can gain a BREEAM rating with no or little additional capital cost, by applying available credits to their projects.