Schools and distilleries don’t often have much in common, however Tynecastle High School and their next door neighbours the North British Distillery have plenty to share.
The brand new school, due for completion in 2010, will be receiving its heating from the distillery, using their waste heat. This innovative system will be a win-win situation. Energy costs for the school will be vastly reduced and the distillery will be able to disperse its waste heat without resorting to additional energy consumption.
Water supplied from the school will pass through a heat exchanger to be warmed up by the waste heat that is a by-product of the distillery’s operations. This water is then returned to the school and used to heat the building and provide hot water. The scheme will cost £200,000 but will have paid for itself in energy savings in four years.
The school have a strong record on energy awareness and now that the contract between the school and the distillery has been signed students will have an interesting dimension to factor in when they take part in the Carbon Challenge roadshow, sponsored by BP, on Tuesday 27 November. This event features hands-on workshops which examine the school’s carbon footprint and looks at ideas relating to sustainability.
Councillor Mrs Marilyne McLaren, convenor of the Education and Children and Families committee said:
“The City of Edinburgh Council have a commitment to sustainability and this is a fantastic example of a forward looking green initiative. This agreement demonstrates how a creative answer can be found within a local community through our school working closely with local businesses. Our future lies in sustainable energy and what better place to utilise it than one of our new schools.”
David Rae, Managing Director of the North British Distillery said:
“The North British Distillery is delighted to participate in this innovative “green” initiative with the City of Edinburgh Council in supplying waste heat to the new Tynecastle High School. This is an environmentally responsible project which will deliver benefits to both the School and the Distillery, and extends our ongoing positive relationship with the local community.”
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