spen valley sports college

Kirklees Council run an energy efficiency project and choose a Proven Energy wind turbine.

The Challenge

Kirklees Metropolitan Council ran an energy efficiency project for schools at the Spen Valley Sports College, Huddersfield, UK. Working with CREATE (Centre for Research, Education and Training in Energy), the student council carried out an energy audit of their school and made a successful bid to install a variety of energy saving measures, including automatic lighting controls and thermostatic radiator valves. Subsequently funding from the Dfes ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme meant that the school was scheduled to be rebuilt. So the plan was abandoned, although, nothing daunted Spen Valley and they investigated the viability of various forms of renewable energy such as bio mass, solar panels and wind turbines.

The Solution

After considering all the options, approaching planning officers for advice and by logging local wind speeds, the school decided that a wind turbine would be the best option for their site. After a meeting at the school between structural and electrical engineers, the School Council Renewable Energy Committee and a planning officer, it was decided on the preferred model and the location for the turbine – Proven 35 wind turbine for grid connect with a 15m mast and a 9m blade at the school. The council also made the successful application for planning permission and in May 2005, the turbine was installed in the school grounds and linked to the grid system so that extra energy generated can earn income for the school.

The Benefit

The wind turbine produces around 29,000 kWh of electricity per year on an average annual wind speed of 4.5m/s to 5m/s. This accounts for 10% of the school’s electricity, with an emissions saving of around 12.5 tonnes of CO2. The wind turbine makes the Spen Valley Sports College not only a driving force in the promotion of alternative forms of energy, but also educates the school and community about renewable energy. The turbine features largely in the educational curriculum for science, maths, geography and design and also allows the other schools within the area to make use of it in their lessons. The pupils have since appeared on local television, in the press and featured in the Times Educational Supplement. The project was rated as one of the top 10 energy projects of 2005 by the Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks.