Great green future for Buckinghamshire school
Rebecca Wilson, Business Manager at the Royal Latin School in Buckingham shares her delight at the school being awarded funding as part of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Video story
One of the oldest schools in the world is enjoying more energy-efficient classrooms, thanks to Government funding.
In a testimonial video, presented by Royal Latin School Business Manager Rebecca Wilson, the technologies paid for by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme are listed. These have included air source heat pumps and solar photovoltaic panels.
The Buckinghamshire school, which dates back to 1423, began its decarbonisation journey in 2020 in a bid to modernise its 19th Century buildings. In 2023 the school is celebrating its 600th anniversary.
Mrs Wilson said: “The projects would not have been possible without the decarbonisation funding and have begun our journey towards decarbonising the school site.
“The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme has already helped us achieve positive things and thanks to the support of Salix, we have the confidence to progress further.”
The school, which serves 1,300 students, was awarded £273,000 under the Phase 1 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and another £282,000 under Phase 2.
The scheme, is an initiative by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and is delivered by Salix Finance.
At the Royal Latin School, the money has had a major impact in modernising the 19th century buildings, which began as a hunting lodge and stable block.
The project has also included the installation of energy-efficient radiators, LED lighting, solar battery storage and roof insulation to help modernise the site.
Overall, the upgrades helped the school lower its energy costs by more than £5,000 and reduce carbon emissions by 37 tonnes.
"The Royal Latin School has made tremendous progress in its decarbonisation journey. It is so important that we can reduce our carbon emissions and collectively work towards our net zero targets. It is great to see what the school has achieved".
Facts
- The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, initiated by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, provides grants for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures.
- The scheme supports the aim of reducing emissions from public sector buildings by 75% by 2037, compared to a 2017 baseline, as set out in the Heat and Buildings Strategy and the Net Zero Strategy in October 2021.
- The scheme is delivered by Salix Finance, a DESNZ non-departmental public body.
Rebecca Wilson, Business Manager at the Royal Latin School in Buckinghamshire discusses how funding from the government has helped install energy-efficient technologies at the school, lowering both energy costs and carbon emissions.
