Jan 07: The commitment of people like John Hampden to the Parliamentary cause in the Civil War of the seventeenth century can be said to have helped shape the nation today. It is perhaps fitting that a school bearing his name should also be at the forefront of the country's opening moves towards a zero carbon future...  

One thing is for sure: John Hampden Grammar School in High Wycombe is not taking a cavalier approach to fighting climate change. The installation of the 4.2kWp solar PV array at the school in late 2006 will make a small contribution to fuel bills, but will also provide an educational stimulus to the pupils. Its presence will add focus to day-to-day energy saving actions, such as turning off lights, that can be undertaken by children and staff alike. 

The system was installed before the summer holidays and received one of the final grants from the government's DTI Major PV Demonstration Programme. Installers PV Systems undertook the project, which is not dissimilar to the array that overhangs the parapet wall at Buckinghamshire County Offices, Aylesbury. The installation will produce around 4,000 units of electricity per annum and offset about 1.7 tonnes of CO2.  

Buckinghamshire County Council have once again led by example and have installed the county’s largest PV array on County Hall in Aylesbury. The building is of a unique architectural style and can now boast a unique power source, although it is hoped others will now follow suit and solar PV arrays of this size and larger will become the norm.

The installation is 10kWp in size and should produce in the region of 9,000 kWh of electricity per annum. It was part-funded under the DTI’s PV grants scheme and was installed by PV Systems. The system comes in two parts, with an innovative wall mounting which hooks over the mezzanine floor façade and several strings of PV ‘cassettes’ sitting atop the mezzanine floor balcony. 

 
Solar Energy Making a Splash in Buckinghamshire

The system is ingeniously mounted on a purpose-built pergola and was installed by South West Trace Heating, utilising products supplied by Imagination Solar. The system is also linked to a couple of brand new showers, thus further improving the utility of the pool. Energy from the sun should provide all the heating required by the pool during the school swimming season. 

Foundations and trenching are already in place for a 15-metre tall, 6kWe Proven wind turbine and this is set to be commissioned during the school summer holidays. The turbine and the solar thermal system will be linked to energy monitoring software and it is planned to link the pupils of Carrington with other schools in the region that host renewable energy installations, for educational projects.

 
Planners back wind for more Bucks schools

At a Development Control Committee 14th December 2004, Buckinghamshire County Council overwhelmingly supported the development of two wind turbines following two successful Clear Skies applications. The first is at Carrington Junior School, Flackwell Heath and the second at Long Crendon School.

Carrington Junior School is located in the Chiltern Hills village of Flackwell Heath, just outside High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The school is co-educational and has 240 pupils ranging from key stage 3 through to key stage 6 (ages 7-11). The Junior School is part of a wider site located on the edge of the village that also encompasses a playing field, village library and infant school.

The school has successfully attained a number of awards in the past, such as Investors in People and the Basic Skills Agency Quality Mark. The head teacher and board of governors have been looking at the options for winning 'EcoSchools' status and it is felt that incorporation of renewable energy technologies into the site and the curriculum can assist with this. An energy audit was carried out by TV Energy with recommendations for a wind turbine, given the sites suitable location, it is estimated that the turbine will generate a significant proportion of the electricity used at the school (13,205 kWh units of electricity per annum), reducing fuel bills by 17% per annum.

The school will also receive an income for any energy generated when excess is produced by selling electricity back to the grid. The wind turbine is a Proven WT6000 (6kW) with a hub height of 15 meters giving a maximum height of 17.75 meters with 5.5 meter blades. It is gearless and very quiet, similar to the wind turbine recently erected at Brill C of E Combined School.

No objections were received from the Chilterns AONB which lies adjacent to the village and there was little opposition from neighbouring residents.

Long Crendon School is located in the village of Long Crendon (Buckinghamshire), two miles north of Thame, Oxfordshire. The school is co-educational and has approximately 240 pupils ranging from foundation stage through to key stage 2 (ages 4 -11). Sited on the north-eastern edge of the village and located on an exposed southerly ridge, it is in a good position to take advantage of wind energy. The school currently has a large electricity bill and this is expected to rise by at least 30% in the coming year. This is a dramatic increase that will severely impact on already stretched educational budgets. Thus, any way of cushioning this blow has to be a positive solution. The erection of a wind turbine will allow the school to generate a portion of the electricity it uses and when excess is produced, sell electricity back to the grid, which creates revenue to offset the cost of imported electricity. It is estimated that the wind turbine should produce in the region of 13,700kWh of electricity per annum, saving the school 808 per annum or 23% of their electricity bill.

No objections were forthcoming to the above installation.

In support of the application, it is stated that Planning Policy Statement 22 requires local authorities to promote and encourage renewable energy. TV Energy has been working closely with Bucks County Council to identify opportunities to promote renewable energy in the county, in order to improve the environment, reduce dependency on fossil fuel supplies and to reduce fuel bills. These and several other school sites have been identified as particularly suitable sites for installing renewable energy technologies because of the wide ranging benefits of reducing school's energy bills, the educational opportunities and the opportunity to involve the local community in understanding and appreciating renewable energy technologies.