Cardinal
Hinsley School in Willesden, West London was the
first school in the UK to install a solar panel
system through the Government's Foresight 'Scolar'
programme. The panels are arranged into a canopy
which provides enough electricity for a suite
of computers in the school's science block.
The
photovoltaic solar cells are linked up to computers
to monitor the energy gained. This Internet-based
education and monitoring package is an integral
part of the programme and will help school children
get familiar with the technology of the future.
Many other schools around the country subsequently
joined in the Scolar scheme and fitted photovoltaic
(PV) systems to make electricity from the sun.
These projects act as demonstration sites for
PV technology and together with teaching aids
…serve to stimulate interest in solar energy
in their communities.
Schools participating in the Scolar programme
contribute approximately one third of the cost
of the system - typically £4000.
The
programme was a collaboration between Government
and British expertise in solar electricity from
industries and universities, managed by the Intersolar
Group. It was set up in 1996 with £1million
from the Government's Technology Foresight Energy
Challenge Fund.
The
Scolar Programme was the first major government-supported
initiative to bring full-scale solar electricity
to schools and colleges throughout the UK.
PV technology is increasingly valued around the
world because it is a non-polluting method of
electricity generation.
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