School Wants Credit For Energy It Produces

Note the wind turbine in the school's crest!

A school in Co Galway yesterday turned its playground into a farmyard complete with livestock in an unusual protest directed at the Government’s energy policy. Lisheenkyle National School, four miles from Athenry, Co Galway, claims to be the only school in the Republic with its own wind turbine.

Teachers and pupils were protesting against restrictive green energy regulations that preclude a school – as opposed to a farm or other kind of enterprise – from obtaining credits or cash for the wind energy it produces out of school hours. As the turbine quietly sliced the air in the windswept school yard, the pupils eagerly got involved in the “farm sit-in”. They petted a pony, a calf, chickens and pups brought along for the day by local farmers, parents and friends.

Primary School Energy Initiative

The school's Energy Tracker monitors generation, benefits and weather!

The Jurupa Primary School District in California is saving energy and creating positive results for the budget and the environment. They're doing their part to go green. They use a web tool to track their energy savings and carbon footprint reductions in their community.

The Energy Tracker displays the environmental benefits of green energy production at their facilities in terms of equivalent coal offset and homes powered along with a summary of weather data including irradiance and wind speed. The school district has begun work on the installation of solar panels  at nine of their facilities.

Wind And Solar Energy Power Peru Education

The solar shed has come to Camacho, San Clemente, Pisco in Peru. The shed provides the school there with all of its energy needs. A renewable energy program comprised of a windmill and seven solar panels - donations from the European Union - are powering the eager young students' laptops.

The rural community of Camacho was the first community out of the 130 beneficiary communities in Peru to benefit from the Euro-Solar Program which has installed the first kit for its 240 inhabitants. Alongside the fitting out of the premises and the installation of the equipment, training was provided to the three members of each community who will be responsible for the technical management and maintenance of the kit.

School Switches On To Solar Power

 
Tekapo school's pupils were so pleased about their new solar panels that they made a song and dance about it. State-owned generator Genesis has spent $40,000 installing photovoltaic solar heating panels and a battery system inside the school, which could also be used as a back-up source of power.

As part of the process, the school has had classes on the benefits of energy efficiency and solar power - which culminated in a performance at the local community theatre this week featuring all the school's 22 pupils. Kyle Bell, aged 11, said he had learned a lot about how to be a good "green" user.