It's time to give the batteries a rest and let your fingers do the walking this week - National Energy Saving Week is upon us. The Energy Saving Trust would like to see us adopting multiple energy saving measures to help reduce 20% of our energy consumption. There's more info on how to go about that up on their website, but it boils down to cutting back on home energy use, driving cleaner vehicles & installing renewable energy.
Donnachadh McCarthy of Peckham has raised the bar pretty high already by applying for permission to install his own wind turbine - beats a loft conversion hands down. He applied three years ago, but has finally found the right machine for the job. He was also the first Londoner to sell electricity generated from his solar panels back to the National Grid. Bet that felt good. He plans to make further sales from the excess power generated by his new wind turbine.
We also received a press release from Westminster City Council highlighting the most environmentally friendly school in central London:
A school in Westminster is saving hundreds of pounds every year on their electricity bill, by harnessing the power of the sun. The governors of Burdett-Coutts CE Primary school, in Pimlico, have installed new solar panels and are now reaping the benefits of their investment. It is estimated that the energy generated from the panels will supply enough electricity to power an entire floor of the school for a year. In addition, the use of the photovoltaic panels will result in 392kg of carbon dioxide emission savings each year - roughly equivalent to the weight of a ten-year-old pupil every month.
It's a while since we had to hoist a ten year old but we get the idea. Here's what one of the little nippers had to say - Bai Turagabeci (aged 10):
"It is important that we look after our environment and I know that using renewable energy is good for our planet as it stops using up the world's coal and oil."
The school's system was installed at the end of July on a south facing roof while a display unit set up inside the school allows pupils, visitors and teachers to monitor energy production and carbon dioxide savings. Back in our day it was all about snapping the bra straps of older girls and slapping the kids from the chess club - funny how things change.
Sadly Burdett-Coutts is the only central London school to have the panels fitted so far.
