Member Article

Boarding school set for Energy saving project

A boarding school in Dorset is set to receive financial backing to help fund a £2m energy saving project, Apollo Enviro reports

St Mary’s boarding school in Shaftesbury, Dorset has received new investment to help launch a £2m energy saving project. The scheme will be put in place with the hope of saving the school £130,000 a year on its energy bill while also lowering the building’s carbon footprint.

The new energy saving scheme which will be funded by investors via a shared savings model that will provide the school with a financial and environmental boost which would not have been possible previously.

Headmaster Richard James said: “At St Mary’s we aim to be environmentally responsible in all we do and we’re always looking at ways to improving our energy efficiency. Through this project we will be dramatically reducing our carbon footprint and also engaging pupils, to encourage them to think about their own impact.”

Solar PV panels will be installed on the roofs of the school’s buildings and on various sites on its grounds which could produce around 20% of its energy needs. A biomass boiler will also be implemented to provide St Mary’s with low-carbon heating; potentially slashing its fuel costs by 70%. As well as these renewable energy technologies the school’s swimming pool will also be heated using an air handling system, while 1600 energy efficient LED lights will also be installed.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Daniel Birkett .