By Daniel Cattanach

Last updated 11:37, Tuesday, 13 May 2008

A WEST Cumbrian school has turned over a new leaf with the launch of its own wind turbine which could save it £1,800 a year in electricity bills.

Launch: Netherhall pupils with the turbine

The blades started spinning on the 58-foot tall turbine yesterday as Maryport’s Netherhall School tapped into the savings and educated the community on environmental issues.

Headteacher David Sibbit led an opening ceremony. He said: “The youngsters who are here know that it’s their world in the future. They know that resources like oil and coal aren’t going to last but the wind is probably going to blow forever.

“We’re getting everybody into doing small things to tackle global warming a little bit at a time. I think the cumulative effects could be huge.”

The brake on the turbine was released by Tony Jenkin-Jones, community relations executive for E.on – the company building the Robin Rigg offshore wind farm off Maryport, which helped to fund the device along with the Carbon Trust.

As he watched the blades turning rapidly in the breeze, Mr Jenkin-Jones said: “It’s our pleasure to support projects like this. It’s very much about education and providing something for the community.

“It’s an opportunity for people to learn about the issues that are facing us.”

Ian Johnson, senior project manager for the Robin Rigg offshore wind farm, said: “This is a great link between what we’re doing in the Solway and how people can play their part in the community. We’re really pleased to be able to work together on this.”

The wind turbine – one of the largest erected at any school in Cumbria – will have an estimated output of 6,500 KWH a year which translates to a saving of 2.795 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

It will provide sustainable energy for the school’s community sports hall and flood-lit artificial pitches which are used by more than 900 Netherhall students, primary school pupils and several sports clubs.

Ian Skillen, the school’s leadership advisor, said they had been spurred into action after discovering how much electricity the school used overnight, and decided to claw some of it back by harnessing the power of the wind with the turbine.

He added: “It’s saving us money but it’s also a symbol of what we’re about.

“Anyone using the facility will see the school is trying to provide fitness and health with green issues at heart.”

The turbine, on the edge of the artificial pitches, can be seen from the school’s science laboratories where a display board showing wind speed will be positioned.

Any surplus energy produced during the summer may be fed back into the national grid.

DCattanach@cngroup.co.uk