PUPILS at a Westcountry school will learn about renewable energy every time they attend classes.

Goonhavern Primary School has become the first in Cornwall to receive a wind turbine funded by the Co-operative's £2 million Green Energy for Schools scheme.

The Co-operative has spent more than £1 million installing solar panels at 100 schools across the UK since 2007, including at Bosvigo School in Truro.

It is now investing a further £1 million to install solar panels at 60 schools and to pilot three additional renewable technologies – wind turbines, biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps – at more than 20 schools.

Goonhavern Primary's 15-metre (49ft) turbine, set up by leading UK wind turbine installer Sundog Energy, was officially switched on by pupils and local Co-operative representatives on Friday. The children use colourful hand-held windmills to test wind conditions.

The Co-operative's senior community manager Sarah Klueter said: "As a community business with a long track record in using renewable energy to power our own buildings, it makes sense to bring our experience and funding to help our local school in this way.

"By switching on the wind turbine, Goonhavern Primary is helping to educate the next generation about climate change while setting an excellent example to other schools, businesses and homes in Cornwall."

The turbine is expected to generate 7,470 units of electricity each year – enough to make 370,000 cups of tea – saving 4.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

A monitor in the school building will enable pupils to keep track of how much energy the turbine is generating and the amount of carbon dioxide they have saved to date.

Pupils and staff have welcomed the wind turbine.

Year Four pupil Danielle Burns, aged nine, said: "Everyone in school is so excited about the new wind turbine. All of the children keep looking at the screen in the reception area to see how much energy it is producing.

"We've been learning about how the wind turbine produces energy and how it will help us to save our planet."

Headteacher Craig Hayes said: "We are working on a number of initiatives to make Goonhavern Primary a greener school and the switch-on of this impressive wind turbine is an enormous boost to our efforts.

"The turbine will reduce our carbon footprint, save us money on electricity bills and help us to inspire pupils about environmental issues.

"We would like to thank the Co-operative for supporting this important project and helping our school to lead the way on renewable energy."

Installation of the school's 5kW turbine was made possible with a £10,000 Co-operative grant match-funded by £14,000 from the Government's Low Carbon Building Programme.