Cardiff Council has invested over £1.3 million in energy saving upgrades across 11 of its primary, secondary and Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools, as part of its work to be carbon neutral by 2030.

The initiatives are set to drastically reduce the council's operational carbon emissions by up to 20% across the 11 sites -Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern, Bryn Celyn Primary School, Glyncoed Primary School, Hywel Dda Primary School, Llandaff City C.I.W. Primary School, Llanishen High School, Mary Immaculate High School, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr, St Illtyd's High School, The Bishop of Llandaff C.I.W. High School, and Ty Gwyn Special School -as well as save an estimated £185,000 a year.

Pupils will learn about the benefits of the works, including the enhanced lighting levels and health benefits from the removal of existing fluorescent lighting through planned engagement sessions with the schools' eco teams.

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Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "Schools form some of the largest energy users on our estate so upgrading technologies within them is an important part of our energy reduction strategy. In the face of the climate emergency, continuing to invest in these types of projects, continuing to make our energy choices as smart as possible is clearly the right thing to do."

The works were delivered by the council through the Re:fit procurement initiative, supported by Local Partnerships LLP and funded through Salix Finance, a UK government-funded organisation which provides interest-free loans to the public sectorfor energy efficiency projects.

As part of the project, a range of new energy efficient technologies have been installed across the schools including LED lighting upgrades, solar panels, fridge and freezer controls, valve and pipework insulation, as well as new Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS), which optimise building controls and energy usage.

The new technologies will deliver reduced consumption and operational carbon savings year on year over the course of their lifetime. The Salix Finance loan will be paid back over ten years from the savings made on energy bills, making the funding self-sufficient. Once the loan is repaid the continued savings will be able to be used for budget priorities.