Dornoch Academy is the first of many Highland schools to benefit from a new LED lighting system.
The upgrade to the Sutherland secondary funded by Salix Finance, a government-funded organisation that provides interest-free loans to the public sector for energy efficiency projects.
Highland Council currently operates a £7 million recycling fund (£3.5m investment provided by the council and £3.5m match funding provided by Salix Finance), which is the largest award ever made in Scotland.
By updating the lighting at Dornoch Academy to use LEDs over incandescent bulbs the energy consumption of the lighting will be reduced by 90% and will significantly reduce the amount of CO² emitted by an estimated 1,600 tonnes per annum.
The energy efficient, environmentally friendly lighting will be low maintenance and have a longer lifespan than existing lighting.
LED lighting brings not only energy savings, but, has also been shown to improve the learning environment for both staff and pupils. The Highland Council has surveyed more than 125 schools all over the Highlands and hopes to upgrade as many as feasibly possible.
Chairman of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Allan Henderson said: “This change to more eco-friendly lighting in our schools demonstrates the council’s commitment to reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and shows the council is a forerunner in terms of reducing the region’s climate change impact to support both national and global emissions reduction targets.”
