Schools across Renfrewshire are going green to cut their energy spend by more than £85,000 annually.
A string of improvements across schools has also reduced Renfrewshire Council’s energy consumption and carbon emissions under the Better Council Change Programme.
Fitting a bio mass boiler into the newly built St Fergus Primary School in Paisley means an annual saving of £23,027.
The wood fuelled heating systems, which use pellets or chips from a sustainable source, will also be installed at St Paul’s Primary and St John Bosco and Bargarran shared school campuses, releasing a combined £22,000 when they open to pupils later this year.
The low-carbon option systems operate under the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme, a government environmental programme that provides financial incentives to increase the uptake of renewable heat by businesses
A further four primary schools – Bridge of Weir, St Catherine’s in Paisley, St Anne’s in Erskine and East Fulton in Linwood – also underwent a rewiring and light replacement programme, leading to a saving of more than £13,000.
The old fluorescent lighting tubes were replaced with LEDs which run at up to 50 per cent less energy consumption with the same or a better light output.
Three more schools had decades old gas boilers replaced with more modern equipment, saving £4,690 while Inchinnan Primary Schools is having solar panels fitted, meaning an annual payment of £3,869.
Councillor Jim Paterson, Convenor of Education and Children’s Services said: “These changes and improvements across our schools make a real difference as they are not only good for the environment but represent a significant saving in terms of energy costs.
“We are committed to reducing our energy consumption and carbon emissions.”