Eco-friendly School Shows Green Future

Eco-friendly School Shows Green Future
A futuristic, eco-friendly school complete with grass roofs, its own wind turbine and a rainwater collection system to flush the toilets has been unveiled.

The �3 million Deanburn Primary School in Bo'ness, West Lothian, which was officially opened, replaces the old building, which was virtually destroyed by fire three years ago.

The school, believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland, also has "breathing walls" to reduce the need for artificial ventilation and its own weather station to measure atmospheric changes and make lessons more interesting for pupils.

Martha Whittington, the headteacher, revealed yesterday that the school had struck a deal which will enable it to sell unused electricity generated by its wind turbine to the National Grid.

The turbine cost �40,000 to construct.

Mrs Whittington, who took over at the school shortly after the fire, said she believed it could prove to be an example of how all schools should be designed in a more environmentally-co nscious age.

She said: "The wind turbine will produce half the school's power and if there's any excess, we can sell it to the National Grid, which will help us raise funds. The school's guttering collects the rainwater and channels it into an underground water tank, which pumps it back into the school and it is used to flush the t