Solar panels and turbines for NE schools

2:56pm Monday 17th December 2007

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SOLAR panels and wind turbines will be installed at ten new schools across the region to help the fight against global warming.

Each of the schools will receive around £500,000 to slash emissions of carbon dioxide by around 60 per cent, the government announced.

Other measures to improve energy efficiency could include insulated windows, low-emission light bulbs, heating using recycled wood pellets and using rainwater to flush toilets.

The schools could also recycle their own paper, plant roof-top shrubbery to improve drainage and give children their own gardens in which to grow vegetables.

The ten schools - which are either new, or being rebuilt - are: * Eastbourne Comprehensive, Darlington * Seaham School of Technology, Durham * Shotton Hall, Durham * Acklam Grange, Middlesbrough * Acklam Base (replacing Hall Garth and King's Manor), Middlesbrough * Gosforth West Middle, Newcastle * Heworth Grange Comprehensive, Gateshead * Thomas Hepburn Community, Gateshead * Jarrow, South Tyneside * Joseph Rowntree, York The eight schools are among 200 across England that will all receive around half a million pounds, under a £110m scheme.

Heads will also be encouraged to give pupils 'Carbon Detectives Kit', to investigate their school's carbon footprint and take action to reduce it.

And some of the funds may be spent on twinning with schools abroad, to learn how to tackle issues such as rainforest preservation and planting new forests.

Yesterday's announcement is the first step in the government's ambitious programme to ensure all schools are entirely carbon neutral by 2016.

Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary, has acknowledged the necessary technology does not yet exist and will appoint a task force, in the New Year, to close the gap.

Mr Balls said: "We are taking action now to reduce carbon emissions in new school buildings, while we work towards the zero carbon goal.

"This provides an additional £500,000 for the average secondary school, to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy measures on school sites."

Under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, the government is rebuilding, or refurbishing, every secondary school in England.