Renewable Energy System on Eco Outdoor Classrooms and Shelters

When I set up my company 12 years ago, it was built on two founding principles – always try and create new, exciting and relevant product ideas and always try and promote environmental awareness and sustainability within schools. And 12 years on, we are still doing exactly this today!

I originally had an idea of creating an outdoor classroom which not only provided for an outdoor learning environment or extra space but also was an educational resource in itself. So children could actually learn from the building as well as using it. So the concept of the all encompassing eco classroom was borne – it would have a living sedum roof to attract biodiversity and act as a good natural building insulator; it would feature a water harvesting and irrigation system for the built-in planters and beds – but the main feature was to be how we could demonstrate to children how renewable energy is generated and used.

There are many companies out there who can provide solar panels for power – that was certainly one option to look at but I wanted to move on from this slightly and come up with a system which was more educational and easy to install. And was within a certain price parameter. No one was interested in this idea from all the solar power companies I spoke to as it involved coming up with a bespoke design and “thinking outside of the box”.

Until I met with a company who are based in Staffordshire who did a lot of work with schools anyway and they loved the idea! Together we created the educational renewable energy system which is comprised essentially of a wind turbine and solar panel (roof or pole mounted) which then feeds down into a central monitoring board mounted on a back wall panel. On this board are two isolators – one for the solar panel and one for the wind turbine so you can alternate between the two if so required. The energy created from the sun and wind via the panel and turbine is stored in a battery (safely housed on the board as well). This is then translated into usable electricity via an inverter and the provision of two outdoor sockets. It is low voltage so very safe allowing children to plug in laptops, visualisers, tablets etc and use pure, green power! Also included with the system is a datalogger (to monitor such things as CO2 saved, speed of turbine and watts created etc) and a bulk head light.

So to answer the question of this blog – How to promote renewable energy at your school? Simply show them and buy one of these systems!

It is interesting to note too that this system is now sold as an accessory on 42% of our outdoor classroom installations. To see one in action, please click on this video link

For further information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com