A primary school in Pembrokeshire has been rewarding for its recycling efforts and other environmentally friendly initiatives by being awarded solar panels worth £20,000. Tavernspite School, near Whitland, is the first school in Wales to benefit from a new scheme promoting free solar panels in schools.
The Green Energy for Schools scheme is attempting to put the panels into 100 schools around the UK and is a joint initiative between the government of the UK and the Co-operative Group.
In Wales, the only other school to successfully apply for the solar panels, which are capable of generating 3,000 kilowatts of energy per year, is Ferndale Infants School in Rhondda.
It is estimated that the panels will allow each school to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by two tonnes a year and provide children with an interesting educational opportunity. The public can monitor the output from the panels on a screen located on one of the school’s walls.
Tavarnspite was recognized as an ideal location for the project because of the school’s efforts to be environmentally friendly.
Teacher Julie Halton explained: “We compost food waste, paper, paper towels. We recycle papers, recycle batteries, ink cartridges, we recycle phones for ‘Phones for Schools’ campaign which earns us points to spend in Argos, and cash.
“It extends to things like growing our own vegetables in the nature garden. We had a recycled Christmas one year where we cancelled Christmas cards and everyone had singing greetings instead.”
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