Boarding school enrols help for £2m energy saving project

A Dorset boarding school is getting a new boarder – of sorts – which it hopes will cut its energy bills by £130,000 a year. St Mary’s in Shaftesbury is […]

A Dorset boarding school is getting a new boarder – of sorts – which it hopes will cut its energy bills by £130,000 a year.

St Mary’s in Shaftesbury is beginning a £2 million energy saving and carbon cutting project, paid for through an ESCO – an investor-funded, shared savings model.

The independent Catholic school is getting solar PV panels installed on the roofs of buildings and in its grounds, which should generate 20% of the school’s future electricity needs.

A biomass boiler will heat the school’s buildings, cutting gas and oil costs by up to 70% according to energy solutions firm Anesco which is running the project.

A new air handling unit will heat the school’s swimming pool while the school is getting 1600 new LED lamps and valve insulation to improve the heating infrastructure.

Headmaster Richard James said: “At St Mary’s we aim to be environmentally responsible in all we do and we’re always looking at ways to improving our energy efficiency. Through this project we will be dramatically reducing our carbon footprint and also engaging pupils, to encourage them to think about their own impact.”

Adrian Pike, CEO of Anesco added: “The ESCO model is designed to enable organisations to reduce energy expenditure while improving the efficiency of their buildings, to upgrade housing stock and end of life equipment, all without the need for capital. It is perfect for organisations like St Mary’s which have high energy use across multiple buildings.”

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