North-eastern schools set to benefit from renewable energy production

Ten schools across the north-east of the UK are set to benefit from cash grants allowing them to install a series of energy-efficiency measures.

The government announcement will see the ten schools receiving £500,000 to allow them to reduce their carbon emissions by up to 60 per cent, the Northern Echo reported.

As well as installing solar panels and wind turbines, the schools will also be encouraged to increase the energy efficiency of their buildings, using low-energy light-bulbs and recycling their own paper.

The plans are part of a series of proposals aiming to ensure that all schools are carbon neutral by 2016, the newspaper reported.

"We are taking action now to reduce carbon emissions in new school buildings, while we work towards the zero carbon goal," children's secretary Ed Balls said.

"This provides an additional £500,000 for the average secondary school, to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy measures on school sites."

Under the government's ongoing Building Schools for the Future programme, every secondary school in England is either being refurbished or rebuilt. ADNFCR-1231-ID-18397369-ADNFCR