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North-east pupils join green energy learning scheme

A middle school in the north-east of England has become the latest educational institution to sign up to a new initiative aimed at promoting the benefits of renewable energy.

Launched earlier this year by OneNorthEast in partnership with the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC), the scheme works to help teachers demonstrate to their students how green energy projects work and what advantages they will bring over the long-run.

As such, teaching staff at Newminster Middle School have now taken delivery of a Solar Thermal Trolley, specifically designed for classroom demonstrations compliant with the national curriculum.

Areas covered by the educational initiative include how renewable energy is captured and how much power projects such as wind and tidal farms can generate.

Commenting on the significance of the scheme, Steve Caseley, managing director of partner firm eaga Renewables, told the Morpeth Journal: "As well as making science lessons fun, we estimate these solar panels are already saving more than 1,300kg of carbon each year.

"Given the government's Climate Change Bill has now set legally-binding targets for the UK to cut its C02 emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 these are just the kind of projects at a local authority level that can help us get there."

Earlier this week, energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband told the Financial Times that the government is set to announce a series of ambitious green energy plans in the New Year.

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