Mrs Joanne Oxborough, School Business Manager Swaffham Church of England Primary Academy was responsible for gaining a Green Community grant said: “We replaced 127 light fittings, with estimated financial savings of £184.17 per month, £2,210.04 per year and energy savings of 130,002 kWh’s per year. The GreenCommunity grant has enabled 200 LED light bulbs to be fitted across Swaffham Church of England Primary Academy, including classes, toilets, cupboards, corridors, front reception, boiler room and kitchen areas across the site.”
She added: “It’s amazing to see all the statistics with the impact that the new LED lighting will have on the environment. The financial savings we will make is also significant. We have replaced 85% of the school’s lighting. Cost per tonne of carbon saved is 7,046 kg and our total energy saving per annum in kWh’s will be130,002.”
Howard Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of Diocese of Norwich Education Services said: “The current climate means schools and Trusts must be more resilient and creative in managing the energy costs and this project is a good example of the work we are doing. It is fantastic to see the progress Swaffham CofE Primary Academy has made in this area and we would like to thank Breckland Council for the Green Community grant for making this possible. I know this is making a significant difference to reduce our carbon footprint and we will continue to strive to make further reductions.”
Cllr Ian Sherwood, Executive Member for Waste, Environmental Health, Licensing & Sustainability at Breckland Council, commented: “As part of our Breckland 2035 green grant funding programme, we are delighted to help support Swaffham Primary School install new LED lighting. The £10,000 green grant award which will help increase energy efficiency within the school and make the building more environmentally sustainable for future generations.”
The Academy has 220 children, 8 classrooms with afloor area of 2200m2.
Headteacher, Mrs Nicola Kaye said: “The work was completed over the Easter break and already the young people and staff have noticed a difference. In response to the climate emergency, moving forward the funding received from the Green Community Grant to replace current lighting with energy efficient LED lights will give us environmental sustainability and make our building much more energy efficient. We would like to thank Breckland Council for awarding Swaffham Church of England Primary Academy the grant however, showing the success of this project will not be measured until the next energy performance rating at the end of this year.”