Case study detail
Mornington Primary School boiler house
Wood heat in Nottinghamshire schools
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Sustainable Development Commission
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To date 30 boilers have been installed at 25 schools, at a cost of almost £1.4m. These, and a further 18 installations planned over the next year, will reduce CO2 emissions by a total of 4,343 tonnes per year, which is almost 10 per cent of schools’ emissions in the county.
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Overview
Schools account for over 57 per cent of all carbon emissions from Nottinghamshire County Council’s estate, with many using coal-fired heating systems – a legacy from the county’s coal mining heritage. In 2003 the authority began replacing coal with wood-fuel by installing new boilers or converting existing coal-fired boilers to handle wood pellets. To date 30 boilers have been installed at 25 schools, at a cost of almost £1.4m. These, and a further 18 installations planned over the next year, will reduce CO2 emissions by a total of 4,343 tonnes per year, which is almost 10 per cent of schools’ emissions in the county.
The results speak for themselves. West Bridgford School recently achieved an A grade rating on its Display Energy Certificate (DEC), where a rating for a building like this would normally range from D to E. In 2005 the school converted its old coal-fired boilers to run on 100 per cent renewable biomass as part of the Wood-heat initiative. The whole of the pool and theatre block, including the water for the swimming pool, hot water for showers and several other smaller buildings are now heated solely by biomass boilers. Since conversion over 2,000 tonnes of carbon emissions have been saved, and the student council is committed to achieving Eco-School status.
Nottinghamshire’s wood-heat programme represents a clear commitment by the authority to tackling the causes of climate change, something enshrined in the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change to which it is a signatory. It is a key component of the authority’s carbon management plan, and positively supports progress with the two climate change indicators (NI185 and NI 186) featured in the new Local Government Performance Framework.
Schools and pupils are enthusiastic about the use of wood-fuel. They are keen on the environmental benefits and primary schools in particular are using their wood-fuel boilers to inspire learning about sustainability and climate change. The programme also builds confidence in wood-heat within the region and has led to a local wood-heat infrastructure developing; much of the wood is grown locally and two pellet mills have been built within the county providing the beginnings of a new industry for Nottinghamshire and a potential new revenue stream for local landowners. The clear lesson is that tackling climate change can provide important spin-off opportunities for local economic development and education.
Key features
education
energy
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