By Kelly Eve

Last updated at 13:15, Monday, 29 December 2008

A primary school on the outskirts of Carlisle is renewing its bid for a wind turbine to help cut its energy bills.

A new planning application for a turbine to be put in the grounds of Stoneraise School at Durdar has been submitted to Cumbria County Council by headteacher Andrew Mason.

A bid earlier this year stalled after concerns were raised about noise and potential flickering from a turbine’s blades. There were worries too about its location near to a footpath.

Now new plans show that the proposed turbine has been moved in a bid to respond to those concerns. It will stand 15 metres high and will be grey to help it blend with its surroundings.

If it wins planning approval the turbine will become the latest initiative of the 120-pupil school to be more environmentally friendly.

It could help cut heating bills by a quarter, reducing the annual central heating oil bill from £8,000 to £6,000.

Stoneraise School already has the money to pay for the turbine after it was awarded £26,000 earlier this year from the Government, energy company E.ON and Cumbria Waste Management Environment Trust.

Over the last four years the school has installed a series of sustainable schemes. Solar thermal panels provide hot water and there is under-floor heating and an air source heat pump to heat the office.

Low energy light bulbs have been installed throughout the school and radiators have been replaced with more efficient fan heaters.

Pupils are also chosen as ‘energy monitors’, visiting classrooms at playtimes and dinner breaks to check that computers and lights have not been left on and windows are closed.

Children are also encouraged to recycle and reuse materials.

The planning application states: “The whole school community is excited about installing a wind turbine, which will provide clean, renewable electricity for the school.

“The turbine will power a second air source heat pump to be installed meaning the electricity, heating and hot water will all partly come from renewable sources.

“The school is proud of its environmental achievements and hopes that it will inspire other schools and the wider community to install similar renewable and low energy technologies and strategies.”

It is hoped the turbine will also double up as a teaching resource for pupils at the school as well as visiting community groups.

If approved, monitoring and recording equipment associated with the turbine will be installed at the school with analysis of the data used in maths classes to work out the energy generated in different conditions.

The new proposals state that the turbine would be around 250 metres away from the nearest residential homes, therefore flickering and noise should not cause problems. The turbine would also be 80 metres away from the school building.

A decision is expected to be taken by the county council’s development control panel by March.

First published at 11:27, Monday, 29 December 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk