Firm powers its way to a major green milestone

CONSTRUCTION company Morgan Sindall has reached a major green milestone in the construction of a new extension at The Blandford School.

The company, which is creating the £6 million facility at the school in Milldown Road, Blandford Forum, has fitted 200 photovoltaic panels to the south-west elevation of the building.

The panels work by absorbing solar energy and converting it to electricity and are estimated to produce an energy yield of around 6,250kW each year.

To mark completion of the installation work, Morgan Sindall project manager Neil Lord-Hatton and senior site manager Jason Waller invited headteacher Sally Wilson and Dorset County Council architectural technologist Richard Veale to accompany them onto site.

Hopes are the panels will help earn the new building, due for completion in October, a BREEAM rating of “very good”. BREEAM is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings.

Mr Lord-Hatton said: “The photovoltaic panels will supplement the electrical supply to the new building and help it to deliver high levels of energy efficiency.

“We’ve carried out a number of construction projects at The Blandford School in recent years and have developed an excellent relationship with staff and students. We hope they are looking forward to using the latest addition to their school campus.”

The extension is being built to a teaching block originally built by Morgan Sindall as part of a five-year framework agreement with Dorset County Council.

It includes a hall, dining room and kitchen, reception and administration facilities on the ground floor, with performances space for dance, drama and music on the first.