Kent School's £15,000 grant for wind turbine: Could your group apply for a grant?

Energy company E.ON has given a £15,000 grant under its new SOURCE community initiative to Sandwich Technology School in Kent towards the cost of installing a 5kW wind turbine.

As well as generating electricity, the school wants to use the turbine to promote a sustainable way of living to minimise its ecological footprint.

E.ON launched its SOURCE fund earlier this year to help with the costs of sustainable energy projects for community buildings. The fund is backed up by the SOURCE website at www.eon-uk.com/source, which provides information and advice for community groups seeking to become more energy efficient or generate their own energy from sustainable sources.

Applications for funding will be reviewed twice more this year, and the next deadline for applications is 24 August 2007. The website, which contains full details of how to apply for a grant, can be accessed at www.eon-uk.com/source.

Sarah Green, Community Relations Executive with E.ON said: "We know there are plenty of local groups that want to go green by reducing carbon emissions from community buildings, and we are keen to help them contribute to the fight against climate change in this way.

"In addition to the funding available, the website has been designed for simple navigation and brings together all the information community groups need to put their sustainable energy ideas into practice.

"The website contains tips on saving energy and downloadable fact sheets on ways of generating your own power or heat, as well as full details of how to apply for a grant."

The turbine is expected to save the emission of nearly 3,600kg of carbon dioxide each year, and excess electricity not used by the school will be sold back to the national grid.

Susan Hibberd, Eco Schools Co-ordinator for Sandwich Technology School said: "This grant has provided us with the opportunity to make a major step forward in the fight to become more eco-friendly.

"We're aware that as a technology school, we have a heavy carbon footprint, and our wind turbine will go a long way towards cancelling that out.

"We've been working on this project for eighteen months now, and it's fabulous to see it actually becoming a reality."