Friday 14 January 2022

Bethnal Green school gets solar installation

A school in Bethnal Green has installed solar panels, as part of Tower Hamlets Council’s plans to help the area achieve net zero.

The panels at Morpeth School are part of a £673,000 council grant programme to make schools more energy efficient.

The council claims the new panels will provide 20% of the school’s electricity needs, reduce its carbon output by 19% and save around £20,000 each year.

Overall, 24 schools have shared the funding to become more energy efficient.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, John Biggs, said: “Since declaring a climate emergency in 2019, we have committed to becoming a net zero council by 2025, and a net zero borough by 2045.

“The Schools Energy Retrofit Programmes aims to also meet this challenge; providing funding to schools to support them on their journey to reducing their carbon output, decreasing the cost of electricity and improving their energy efficiency.”

Headteacher Jemima Reilly added: “I'm really pleased that the project of installing the solar panels at Morpeth was one that was largely driven by the pupils.

“It was their commitment to finding ways that we could become more sustainable as a school that challenged us to do better, led by the Eco Council.”