A PRIMARY school in St Austell will become one of the greenest in Cornwall when £20,000 solar panels are installed.

St Mewan School is one of 80 selected to receive a grant from the Co-operative as part of a green energy scheme.

The panels will generate renewable electricity, reducing the school's reliance on fossil fuels and highlighting the issue of climate change.

A monitor screen in the school building will display how much energy the panels are generating and how much carbon dioxide they have saved to date. Schools will also be able to access their energy data on the internet, along with educational materials.

Head teacher Paul Towe said: "We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint at St Mewan School and it is fantastic to be given the opportunity to generate our own renewable energy through this generous Co-operative initiative.

"Schools have an important role to play in teaching the next generation about climate change and the solar panels will also help us to educate the wider community about green issues."

The Co-operative has spent £1m installing solar panels at more than 100 schools across the UK since 2007, including Sandy Hill Primary School.

The scheme was so successful that it is now investing a further £1m 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.

Paul Bowden, manager of The Co-operative food store in Moorland Road, said: "Installing solar panels at this local school is a great way of getting our climate change message across to the community in St Austell. As well as reducing St Mewan's carbon dioxide emissions and saving the school money on electricity bills, the solar panels will help to teach the children about renewable energy."