Let there be LED light

RIPON Grammar School has started the new academic year on a bright note, thanks to a £50,000 energy-saving light fitting drive.

More than 950 new LED (light-emitting diode) lighting panels have been fitted throughout the school, replacing 1,000 old-fashioned high wattage lights which are costly to run and need more regular maintenance.

Premises manager Andrew Hogg explained: “By replacing our old strip lights with these energy efficient LED panels, we have roughly halved the school’s wattage so far.”

Funded by a government loan, Mr Hogg calculates that the ongoing scheme, which will see another 400 new LED panels fitted over the next few months, will have paid for itself within two to three years.

“The old lights last one or two years and, in some cases they’re nearly four metres up, so maintenance is costly. The new panels have a five-year lifespan and cost 50 per cent less to run.”

As part of the school’s continuing commitment to cutting out waste and save energy, new low wattage computers have also been installed, while all the old lights and metal fittings have been recycled.

New water bottle filling stations are also being installed throughout the school, with the support of the student-led eco-committee, which is committed to increasing the amount the school recycles while aiming to take RGS to ‘plastic free’ status in the near future.

Eco committee member Sebastian Lyons commented: “It’s great that our school has started its journey towards a greener environment. I am excited that, as students who are passionate about the environment, we have managed to help make a positive impact on our local community and we look forward to more change in the future.”