WITH concerns about the shortage of fossil fuels, some people are turning to greener ways of producing energy.

Last year, a number of Devon schools, including Honiton Community College, were fitted with solar panels.

Since the 24 photovoltaic panels, costing £20,000, were installed on the roof in March, the school has reduced its carbon footprint by 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide — CO2.

The panels are expected to generate around 3,300kWh of electricity each year — which is enough to power a computer for 33,000 hours or to make 180,000 cups of tea.

The 1,050-student college is among 100 lucky schools across the UK chosen to receive the panels, which are funded by the Co-operative Group's Green Energy for Schools scheme and the Government's Low Carbon Building Programme.

Principal Norman Tyson said: "We try to work with students on ecology and green issues, and this is a nice way of making a big, positive impact."

The Co-operative's colourful climate change character Sunny Solar joined staff and pupils for the official switch-on.

Lara Drake, 12, attended the launch. She said: "It was quite good to learn how much the panels saved, and how good they were for the environment.

"It's important to use solar energy because it costs less and it is helping the environment."

A monitor in the technology block tells pupils and staff how much renewable energy the panels are generating, along with the amount produced to date and the decrease in the carbon dioxide produced.

Vincent Grendon, 12, is impressed with the panels. She said: "They're really good, because you can see how much they are generating. They're getting students interested in saving energy too."

Energy that is not used by the school, for instance, over the summer holidays, is sold back to the National Grid.

Natasha Haward, 14, said: "It makes you more involved and more aware of what's going on.

"When other schools start seeing how good it is for the environment, they are going to start acting as well."

Ben Barton, 14, said: "I think it's a really good idea and the funding from the Co-op is brilliant. With the way we're going, now fossil fuels are running out, using greener energy is going to help a bit more."

Assistant principal Andy Holt said: "We have saved a tonne and a half of carbon dioxide since they were installed. Thanks to the Co-op we are going to continue doing that.

"It links in with our science specialist status as well.

"We are always looking at new ways to use science and technological advances."

Under the Co-operative scheme, solar panels have also been installed at Willowbrook Primary School in Exeter and Silverton Primary School.

Since pupils at Silverton Primary School switched on their new rooftop panels in January last year, it is believed the 122-pupil school has saved a fifth on its mains electricity bill.

It is estimated that the south-facing panels generate the same amount of energy used in a four-bedroom house and have saved around two tons of harmful CO2 from being released into the atmosphere.

A monitor in the school's main corridor allows children to check how much renewable energy the panels are producing.

The school decided to opt for solar panels not only to save money and energy, but also for educational reasons.

Headteacher Heath Nickels said: "The main thing for us was the educational side of things.

"Every two years we do a big project to do with climate change, so this fits in very strongly with that."

Applying for the grant to have solar panels installed was part of the school's general ethos to be as sustainable as possible.

There are recycling bins in classrooms and the school has computer workstations that use about an eighth of the electricity of an ordinary PC. The original computers were converted to work on the new system.

The Co-operative has invested another £1 million in its Green Energy for Schools Scheme and plans to fit panels at more schools this year.