St Peter's Primary School Cowfold Receive £0.75 Million Grant to Help Save The Planet

St Peter’s in Potters Green, Cowfold, has been awarded the money thanks to the government Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. It will mean the school can replace its old oil boilers with a state-of-the-art ground source heat pump.

Headteacher Giles Kolter said: “We are thrilled to have been successful to receive this vital funding.”

“A ground source heat pump will be far more environmentally friendly than our current oil boilers. This is part of an ambitious project for us and our whole school community is very excited to be involved.”

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is initiated by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and is delivered by Salix Finance.

As well as financing the ground source heat pump installation, £670,000 also covers a project to re-insulate the building, and install the new radiators needed for this technology to work effectively.

The re-insulation element of the project will involve St Peter’s replacing the felt surface of the entire flat roof; insulating beneath it before it is replaced.

The project is being backed by The Diocese of Chichester who are providing £90,000 for the schools’ own contribution to the project.

Salix Director of Programme Ian Rodger said: “We are delighted to be working with St Peter’s on their journey of decarbonisation.”

“Not only will the project help reduce carbon emissions, but it will help make the school a healthier and more comfortable environment to learn and to work.”

Mr Kolter added: “It is such an incredible opportunity for our community to play its part in saving our planet and we will be using it to educate the children about the issues that face us, as humanity, and the solutions that we have.”

“None of this would have been possible if it were not for Gary Dimmock our premises officer. It was he who had the knowledge and passion to complete the grant application.”

When Mya Smith (a Year 6 pupil) was asked for her view upon the project, she said: “This is something that I believe in, strongly. Because of what our school is doing, we will be one step closer to saving our planet”. Eva King (also in Year 6) said: “I think that ground source heat pumps are great for the environment and slowing climate change. I think that it is a great investment in our futures”.

Further Frequently Asked Questions:

Why is a Ground Source Heat Pump Better for the Planet?A GSHP uses electricity to convert warmth underground into energy that can be used to heat the school. As more and more of our electricity comes from renewable sources, this is far more environmentally friendly than burning oil to heat the school. Currently, approximately 50% of mains electricity is generated by renewable sources in the U.K. and the government’s aim is for this percentage to rise and rise.

Project ManagementThe coils for the GSHP will be buried beneath the school field. This will cause disturbance of the surface for a while. Replacing the roof is will also be carried out and the bulk of the disruption is scheduled for the school summer holidays.

What is the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme?• The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme 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.