Islington Schools to be Powered by Sunlight

4.06.56pm GMT Mon 29th Oct 2007

Council leaders decided this week to move forward Islington's Climate Change Fund by agreeing £265,350 of funding for four new projects across the borough.

The Climate Change Fund is a pot used to finance renewable energy projects, such as solar energy and green transport, across the borough. The £3million fund was established in February 2007.

Previous projects approved from the Fund were the biomass boiler at the Ecology Centre, and solar thermal installations at Highbury Pool and New Park Day Centre. These are due to be complete by December.

The four new projects are all renewable energy installations:

• North Islington Nursery School will be installing energy efficiency measures and a solar thermal installation at a cost of £14,000. This popular Nursery School in Finsbury Park, which is extending and developing its services to become a children's centre, will become a flagship green development in the borough with this new investment.

• Grafton School will be installing solar photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight directly into electricity, and will be receiving £10,500 from the Climate Change Fund.

• The Mayville Community Centre, which provides many vital community services including employment and training workshops, childcare support and a youth club, will be undergoing a major refurbishment. The centre intends to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by fully 84%. Extensive energy efficiency measures will be installed, but innovative renewable energy solutions? a Ground source heat pump, solar thermal, and solar photovoltaic installation? will also be added. A large investment of £218,850 makes this the most ambitious individual project in this round of funding.

• The Factory Children's Centre will have solar photovoltaic panels contributing to its electricity needs, at a cost of £22,500.

To be eligible for funding, these projects demonstrated that they had significant carbon saving potential and were of benefit to Islington residents.

Councillor Lucy Watt, executive member for the environment, commented:

"I'm pleased that the climate change fund is being used to finance another round of projects. Making this a greener borough is at the heart of the Liberal Democrat vision for Islington.

"I am especially pleased that we are going to be funding more projects in schools and community centres. The money will be helping to educate people and raise awareness among children and other local users of the buildings. Teaching young people about the need to reduce our impact on the environment from an early age is vital to creating a more sustainable world."