2007 projects - energy

St Patricks Academy, Dungannon, Co.Tyrone

• The school currently uses a greenhouse to germinate and grow seeds form native trees and plants.
• They aim to reduce their carbon footprint by making the greenhouse as energy efficient and carbon neutral as possible.
• The project involves building a system to pump stored rain water through a home made solar panel fitted into the roof of the greenhouse.
• The warm water will then circulate through a radiator in the greenhouse. The aim is to keep the greenhouse above freezing in the winter time so that they can continue growing seeds. In summer time the water could bypass a sprinkler system that would water the plants.
• Another bonus of this system is that all the water will be reused in the system.
• Primary school children and children from the local special needs school already visit the school to participate in seed processing workshops and in growing wildflowers. The project will enable the school to continue these initiatives throughout the year whilst making the greenhouse more efficient, carbon neutral zone and conserving water.