Milton Keynes has recently welcomed a new intake of students to its first-ever fossil-free school, the innovative newly built Glebe Farm School in the parish of Wavendon.
The completely gas-free all-years facility also uses the latest LED luminaires to keep harvested energy use to the minimum, creating a modern, green learning environment in the heart of the community. Designed by Synergy Architects, it is an all-through school with 1,569 school places for pupils aged 5 to 16, a nursery and a workplace for 170 staff members and is located on an area larger than 13 football pitches at the heart of a new community. The school is the city's first fossil-free new build school - even its Bunsen burners are powered by green electricity, funded and developed by Milton Keynes City Council with building works carried out by Morgan Sindall Construction and Munro Building Services.
The whole site has been designed to have a minimal environmental impact and will provide access to high-quality facilities for the local community. Completely gas- free, it uses air source heat pumps which absorb heat from the outside air and provide all the energy needed for air and hot water. All lighting comes from ultra- efficient LED luminaires from TRILUX Lighting, whilst hundreds of solar panels generate power for the building. TRILUX luminaires are found throughout the building. The scheme focuses on the diverse needs of pupils, students, and teachers; and covers the complete spectrum of educational applications from the classrooms to the sports hall. The low-energy design uses a mix of Siella, Amatris, AgiraPlus, Arimo Fit, 74RS, Finea, Skeo Curv, Mirona Fit Sports, Oleveon Fit, ERP and Lutera C luminaires. TRILUX LED luminaires also score highly from an operational point of view, protecting education budgets and the environment with low power consumption and maintenance costs.
Michael Guppy, Preconstruction Manager, Munro Building Services, commented: “We have been using Trilux products for over ten years now, the quality of the fittings is excellent. Using one manufacturer for projects like this allows the scheme to be workable throughout the project and assists the end user, as they only have to go to TRILUX for any additions or replacements. We find working with TRILUX helps us deliver an overall project solution.” It's been estimated that green energy could save this school up to £100,000 a year. Since completion, the school has become a national benchmark for future school buildings.
