Gelligaer’s Greenhill Primary School has been officially opened by Education Minister Leighton Andrews and Caerphilly County Borough Mayor Vera Jenkins.
The cutting-edge primary school, which is the first in Wales and England to be awarded an Energy Performance Certificate rating of A+, received £4 million of funding from the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools Programme.
The new school features an array of energy-saving features, including four wind turbines to take advantage of the school’s elevated location and a large number of photovoltaic panels, which will turn daylight into electricity.
More electricity is generated on or within the school than the school actually uses and the surplus is exported to the grid. Rainwater is also harvested and used to flush toilets, and over half of the water used by the school is recycled.
The construction of Greenhill school also provided a boost for businesses in the area. The main contractor Vinci, who are based in Cardiff, worked with many local subcontractors from Caerphilly, Merthyr, Porth, Aberdare, Taffs Well, Barry and Cardiff. The project created 22 full time jobs.
The Education Minister unveiled a plaque marking the opening and was taken on a tour of the new facilities and classrooms.
The Minister said: “The Welsh Government is committed to ensuring that every child in Wales is educated in an environment that is conducive to learning for the 21st Century.
“In December last year, I announced a £1.4 billion investment in our schools through our 21st Century Schools Programme.
“Greenhill Primary shows that previous investment is delivering real results for our schools and communities.
“This state of the art school not only meets the needs of pupils and teachers, but is a shining example of sustainability and energy efficiency – an Energy Performance Certificate rating of A+ is an excellent achievement.
“I am sure that the facilities will have a lasting impact on the educational achievements of pupils and provide an inspirational environment for teaching and learning.”
The School won a ‘Sustainability Award’ at this year’s Consortium of Local Authorities in Wales (CLAW) Awards 2011. The honour closely followed the ‘Low/Zero Carbon Award’ at the recent Constructing Excellence in Wales 2011 awards.