Small rural primary school takes big leap towards net zero
Pupils and staff at Auchtergaven Primary School are now benefitting from warmer classrooms thanks to Scottish Government scheme
A primary school supporting more than 120 pupils aged from five to 12 is celebrating the completion of a project that has replaced fossil fuel boilers that had previously failed.
Auchtergaven Primary School serves the community in the village of Bankfoot, which has a population of around 1,200 and is located around eight miles north of Perth and seven south of Dunkeld.
The school, which is run by Perth and Kinross Council, was originally constructed between 1864 and 1869.
Prior to this project, the building had no loft insulation and had been using a temporary oil boiler plant after two old boilers had failed in 2022 and were deemed beyond repair.
Chris Anton, council lead energy officer, said: “The boilers at the school had previously failed, so it was a top priority for us to upgrade the systems to ensure the learning space was warm and comfortable for pupils and staff.”
Now, the school is heated by zero direct emission air source heat pumps which are run through electricity. It also has roof insulation and a building management system that allows for room-by-room temperature control.
Chris added: “The project is already making a massive difference to pupils and staff, who can now have confidence in a warm, comfortable learning environment year-round, but particularly during the colder winter months.”
The project is already making a massive difference to pupils and staff, who can now have confidence in a warm, comfortable learning environment year-round, but particularly during the colder winter months.
To support the works, the council was awarded £324,546 in funding through Phase 1 of Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund. Our teams at Salix deliver this funding on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Chris added: “If we had not received funding through the scheme, we would have had to utilise additional budgets from elsewhere in the council which may of impacted other planned works.
“The work needed to be done, so the fact we got the funding has really meant we didn’t have to compromise financial resources across other buildings and services as much as we may otherwise have had to.”
Prior to this project, the building had been using a temporary oil boiler plant after two old boilers had failed in 2022 and were deemed beyond repair. Now, the school is heated by zero direct emission air source heat pumps.
Credit: Perth and Kinross Council
Alongside a £8,684 reduction in annual energy bills, experts expect that the upgrades will reduce the school’s yearly carbon emissions by 44 tonnes.
A 44-tonne reduction in annual carbon emissions is equivalent to driving more than 407,000 miles in an average petrol car – that’s enough to get you from Glasgow to London 1,181 times*.
Brandon Dillon, our client support officer who has been supporting the council, said: “It has been fantastic to work with Chris and the team at Perth and Kinross Council and to see this important work come to fruition.
“Throughout project delivery, we were in constant communication and the successful delivery of the works is a testament to their hard work and dedication.
“The people behind the project are incredibly passionate about the difference that these schemes make for people and the planet and the positive outcomes that energy upgrades can have for community spaces such as Auchtergaven Primary School.
“A massive well done to the team – I look forward to seeing what you achieve next.”
Originally constructed in the 1860s, the school had no loft insulation. Now, it has roof insulation and a building management system that allows for room-by-room temperature control.
Credit: Perth and Kinross Council
About Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund
- Launched in July 2023, Phase 1 of Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund made grant funding available for projects to decarbonise heating systems by replacing them with zero direct emissions systems
- It also includes funding for retrofit energy efficiency measures to support the overall decarbonisation of heat in buildings
- The scheme delivered funding to successful applicants for projects due to complete by the end of financial year 2024/25
- Launched in March 2025, Phase 2 of the scheme will deliver funding for further projects delivering in financial year 2025/26
- You can read more about the scheme through our website
*Carbon calculations have been generated through a tool created by our carbon and technical experts here at Salix. The intention is to provide carbon savings estimates to aid with a common understanding of emission data and statistics. These estimates are approximate; it is not recommended to use this tool for formal carbon emissions analysis. The tool uses UK government conversion factors alongside emissions estimates sourced from various studies, but it is possible a margin of error may exist. For more information about the formulas and methodology used in this tool, please contact us at [email protected]. E&OE.
