Rising from the ice
A primary school has been reborn following
a head teacher’s expedition to Antarctica,
which inspired him to put sustainability at
the core of its ethos and curriculum, writes
Paul Haddlesey.
T
he award-winning Ashley Church of England
Primary School in Surrey has seen a dramatic
cut in carbon emissions – some 14.4 tonnes per
annum – following a series of energy saving
measures to both the building fabric and its services.
The transformation at the Walton-on-Thames primary
began after head teacher Richard Dunne returned from
an enlightening expedition to one of the coldest climes
on Earth, Antarctica, where he witnessed climate
change first-hand and its impact on the continent.
At the core of the changes has been the use of
Solar tubes are used to bring light in and reduce the need for
integrated renewables, as well as increased awareness
electric lights at the school.
leading to behavioural change. This has led to a 51 per
cent reduction in mains electricity consumption in installation was a 35kW biomass boiler in the original
2008, compared to 2007, and an 18 per cent reduction school building. This is fuelled by wood pellets sourced
in gas consumption. A further 28 per cent reduction from local woodland. The other two buildings continue
was recorded in electricity use in the first four months to use gas-fired heating plant for space heating and
of 2009, compared to the equivalent period in 2008, hot water.
and further gas reductions are expected as the biomass Initially there were some technical issues with
boiler is put in full working order. integrating the biomass boiler with the existing heating
Its consequent reductions in energy consumption system but these have now been resolved. Since
and carbon emissions led to the school being a joint installation a thermostatic valve has been installed to
winner of the Schools Award in the 2009 Ashden provide better control of water temperature and thus
Awards for Sustainable Energy. reduce consumption of wood pellets. The improved
performance of the heating system has also enabled the
Integrated renewables school to avoid using supplementary electric heating.
Ashley Primary School has 270 pupils and 30 staff, Additional hot water is generated by a bank of eight
housed in three teaching blocks; the original 150-year- solar thermal evacuated tubes on the roof of the new
old school building, a prefabricated building that is due teaching block, with a total heating capacity of 11kW.
for replacement and a recently constructed teaching These were originally designed to provide heating for
block. an outdoor swimming pool and hot water for three
To help with funding the project, the school was classrooms. However, plans have since changed and
able to access renewable energy grants from its the swimming pool is to be removed, with the freed
energy supplier, as well as from government-funded space being used for a new classroom block. As a
“Sustainability
programmes. Around £154,000 was spent on the result, there are plans to transfer some of the solar
is about improvements, of which approximately 50 per cent thermal panels to another part of the school to provide
questioning the
came from grants, with the other half being met from hot water for a new community kitchen.
school resources and parental support. The school Also installed on the roof of the new teaching
status quo and
has worked with the Energy Centre for Sustainable block is an array of 26 photovoltaic modules to give
it has to be at Communities (ECSC), which provided guidance a potential power generation capacity of 4.2kWp. Any
the centre of the
on renewable energy technologies and funding excess electricity generated by the solar array when the
applications. school is closed is exported to the grid and earns the
curriculum” –
In order to reduce heat losses, windows and doors school 10p per kWh.
Richard Dunne have been double glazed and the first heating plant Electricity consumption has been reduced by
20 CIBSE Journal February 2010 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEfeb10_School_pp20-21_Ashley.indd 20 25/1/10 15:42:10
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