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The new Westcliffe Primary and Infant School in Scunthorpe is proud to be leading the way in energy-efficiency, with a variety of eco-friendly features such as underfloor heating aimed at keeping school kids cosy and bills low. The £5.5 million school was officially opened at the end of last month, and will start teaching pupils after the Easter holidays. It is a champion of renewable energy, using both solar panels and ground source heat pumps to provide heating and hot water, and ensuring that half of all energy used is from renewable sources.
Some 317 solar panels are fitted throughout, generating more than enough power to operate the heat pumps, which draw the heat from beneath the ground, and power the radiators, the underfloor heating system and the water boiler. Excess solar energy can either be used by the school or resold to the National Grid.
Head teacher Kate Buckley told the Scunthorpe Telegraph that the school will save £3,000 every year from the energy sources alone, as well as reducing its carbon footprint by 30,000kg of CO2. “Cost saving is an aspect of the new school build, but being environmentally friendly has been the biggest motivator,” she added. “We are anticipating considerably lower running costs due to the energy efficiency of the new build. The extra £3,000 we will have each year will go towards raising attainment in reading and maths.”
