Here comes the sun to power primary

A primary school in East Dulwich has become one of the first to install solar panels on its roof to cut electricity bills.

Pupils at Goodrich Community Primary School will come back from half term next week to find 24 new panels have been fixed to the school's south-facing roof.

The system will be hooked up to the school's IT network, so the children will be able to see on their computers in class how much electricity is being produced, and to what extent carbon dioxide emissions are being cut.

Headteacher Shirley Patterson said: "We have tried hard not to tell the children too much about the project so this will be a big surprise for them. It will enable our pupils to have a greater understanding of eco-living, help them with scientific study and give us a chance to teach them about global issues such as climate change."

Electricity giant EDF, which has been criticised for raising domestic energy bills by several times the cost of inflation, provided £8,560 for the panels from its Green Fund, while £10,700 came from the Government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

This scheme enables schools and other public-sector organisations to apply for grants of up to £100,000 or half the total cost of a project. As well as solar panels, the government scheme can be used to pay for wind turbines, small hydroelectric plants and solarpowered thermal hot water systems.