St James' Primary School in Elstead has become a local leader in renewable energy by successfully applying for grants to fund a state-of-the-art boiler. EDF Energy awarded the school £23,232 towards the cost of the boiler and pellet store as part of its Green Fund. The pellets are supplied by Harvest Wood Fuel a Tilford based company who benefited from a grant from the Surrey Hills Sustainable Development Fund. Unlike other UK producers Harvest Wood Fuel make pellets from local wood waste.
"Most pellets are imported, but the closer you are to the source the better from a sustainable viewpoint" commented James Little of Harvest Wood Fuel. "Some of the raw material for the school is coming from its 'back garden'. At the moment the Scots pines felled on Thursley Common are just left because there's no market, and we are working with Natural England, which manages the the National Nature Reserve, so that any pines felled there can be used to make pellets for the school".
Natural England's Thursley Common manager James Giles comments:
"This combination gives us a warm glow, bringing together the benefits of heathland restoration from the felling of the surplus pine woods and the need for an efficient heating system for the school".
For further information on Wood Fuel in the Surrey Hills click here