The Wonders of Wind Power

06 December 2004

Pupils and teachers at a Leicester primary school are thrilled to be installing the first wind turbine in the city on their school grounds. Eyres Monsell Primary School is delighted to be going ahead with its pioneering plan for a wind turbine, which will allow it to generate its own electricity.

The wind turbine was installed in the school grounds on Wednesday 15th December and is the first in the city. Eyres Monsell developed this innovative idea through its work for EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme), run by Environ on behalf of Leicester City Council.

Head teacher Sally Morrison said: "It's fantastic that we have got the wind turbine - it will be a really positive step for our school and the whole community.

"Of course, the wind turbine will help us to cut electricity costs, but more importantly it will be an excellent tool for educating the next generation about the environment."

This work has cost approximately £22,000, with funding from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF), Powergen Green Plan Fund, Clear Skies and the Leicestershire Investment Fund for the Environment (LIFE).

The wind turbine will help Eyres Monsell to generate more than 4,000 kWh of electricity per year, saving the school up to £300.

The school have signed up to the UK's first green electricity supplier - Ecotricity. The company, who create most of their electricity from wind power, is keen to help other schools across the East Midlands with their renewable energy supply.

What's more, Ecotricity offers net metering which means that the school can sell any excess electricity back to the National Grid at the same price at which it was bought.

The turbine will stand at 11m high - only a few metres higher than the school itself and much lower than a phone mast already on the site. The turbine will also be so quiet because it has no gearbox and so the nearest residents, who live at least 100m from the proposed site, will not hear it.

Fortunately, a public consultation revealed more than 80% of parents and local residents support the school's plan for a wind turbine. Alison Farmer, whose seven-year-old son John attends Eyres Monsell, said: "I was a bit concerned because the only wind turbines I had ever seen before were massive.

"But this wind turbine is not nearly as big as I had imagined and I think it will be very educational for my son."

Eyres Monsell has recently achieved EMAS verification by showing how it manages a wide range of environmental impacts, such as energy, waste and water.

The wind turbine will be an ideal way for the school to manage its energy use more efficiently, thereby saving money and helping the environment at the same time.

Environ's EMAS work is supported by Leicester City council and the Leicester Partnership through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

Eighteen schools in the city have recently achieved EMAS verification and another 32 will now be able to take part thanks to a further NRF grant of more than £200,000.

Ends.