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St Swithun’s Prep takes a significant step in its ambitious sustainability journey |
St Swithun’s Prep School has installed transformative solar panels which will immediately generate up to 39% of the energy required to run the prep school. Installed by e Energy over the October half term, the panels generate 92kw peak and have been 18 months in the planning.
St Swithun’s is an independent school for girls aged 4-18 with a co-ed pre-school, and the school’s commitment to sustainability extends to the full site. The solar panels are one of the key plans under estates and improvement for the school and St Swithun’s have engaged McGrady Clarke who have prepared an external energy audit and plan. The path to being a more sustainable school is already well underway and prior to the installation of solar panels, the school underwent a full conversion to LED lighting and significantly upgraded the glazing in the main senior school building. Inefficient single-glazed windows were replaced to dramatically improve insulation and reduce maintenance whilst retaining the character of the school.
Commenting on the news, Liz Norris, Head at St Swithun’s Prep said:
“The children at the prep school are determined to play their part in looking after the environment and they are very happy that the school has made this commitment to using clean energy.”
The school aims to continue on the path to sustainability with a 10–15-year action plan being laid out. “Our plans may be ambitious but are ultimately achievable and I am delighted that we have now taken the next significant step on our sustainability journey,” said Martyn Gamble, Bursar.
St Swithun’s is investigating the possibility of utilising solar power further and has conducted a feasibility study which shows that a ground mounted system would produce 700kw of power which would fuel 40% of the senior school. Wind power is also something that could be harnessed due to the positioning of the site and this is being investigated. The estates team have been looking into replacing the boilers with more energy efficient units and solar powered electric vehicle charging points are being researched. Minibus services operate on several local routes with more being planned imminently. A weekly minibus service also runs between St Swithun’s and London which contributes significantly to reducing the carbon impact of parents driving boarders to and from the school from the capital.
Both the prep and senior school have active eco committees and there is an internal focus on educating both students and staff on how to ensure they’re positively contributing to the combined carbon reduction of the school. Saskia, a Year 6 student and chair of the Prep Eco Committee said, “It is really exciting that we’ve now got so many solar panels on the roof of the prep school because we can now generate a lot of our own electricity even on a cloudy day. This is good for the environment and saves money!”