26th June 2015
With Bristol gaining its European Green Capital status this year, there have been many discussions about how we can make our future at St Brendan’s greener.
The new building and grounds
The construction of the new building proved a great opportunity to use solar panels to save on emissions. This is something which the college has always viewed as important. The sports hall roof was fitted with solar panels many years ago and the results have been astonishing. Calculations have shown that the use of solar energy at St Brendan’s has saved 30 tonnes of CO2 in the last 5 years; equivalent to the amount of CO2 gases produced from 7 trips around the world by bus!
Environmental Science students have been taking trips to the roof, which has quickly become a wildlife haven and food stop-over point for insects such bees, to see how we make a difference. They discovered how the college uses plants as a way of providing insulation for the building and to also soak up rainfall. This water is then used to flush the college toilets; saving on water bills and reducing environmental impact! Here’s to a great green St Brendan’s Future!
