Aberdeen primary is Scotland’s first wind-powered school
29/05/07
An Aberdeen primary school today became the first in mainland Scotland to harness the wind to generate its own power.
The wind turbine at Cults Primary school began turning this morning to provide energy for the school and to highlight awareness of renewable energy among pupils, other schools and the wider community.
The £19,500 5-kilowatt Iskra turbine – supplied by North-east company Brumac Engineering Ltd, of Laurencekirk - is powerful enough to provide enough energy to run most of the school’s catering operation.
The cost has been covered by the Scottish Executive-funded Energy Saving Trust (£13,326), Aberdeen City Council (£9,500), the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (£1,000) and Cults Community Council (£1,000).
A 32-inch LCD screen has been installed indoors, allowing pupils and staff to monitor wind speed and direction, power output, and the tonnage of carbon dioxide which would otherwise have been pumped into the environment if the school were using conventional power sources.
The school has installed the equipment to let the pupils make a real contribution to renewable energy generation and learn about enterprise, citizenship and working with others.
The turbine should deliver an approximate saving of £650 per annum at current electricity prices and will contribute to reducing the school’s reliance on fossil fuels. The school expects to cut its CO2 emissions by 5,633kg per year – and by 112,660kg over the lifetime of the turbine.
Aberdeen City Council leader Councillor Kate Dean said: “The staff and pupils of Cults Primary can be really proud of the fact that they are leading the way in Scotland with their renewable energy project. They are taking practical steps to help the environment and setting a great example for other schools.
“Aberdeen is a World Energy City with an international reputation – and this project proves the up-and-coming generation is just as committed as the City Council to investing in renewable energy.”
The City Council will closely monitor performance to discover how the turbine matches up to predicted performance levels.
The EST has further funding available for schools keen to go ahead with renewable energy schemes. The organisation can also offer advice and grant help to community groups and householders – log on to www.est.org.uk/schri for more information.
