Peter Gladwin Primary School in Portslade is set to become the first school in Brighton & Hove to be fully heated by low carbon alternatives to gas and oil.

An extensive building retrofit is taking place over the summer holiday to replace the existing gas boilers, which are coming to the end of their useful life, with air-source heat pumps and upgraded radiators.

The school will also get energy efficiency measures such as upgraded LED lighting throughout, which, together with the existing Solar PV installation, will free up electrical capacity to help run the new heat pumps.

Peter Gladwin Primary School took the first steps towards decarbonisation in 2024 with the installation of a 50kW rooftop solar panel array. The system is owned by Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-op (BHESCo) who operate the array on behalf of the Council, delivering not only carbon emission reductions but cost savings for the school as well.

placeholder image — Peter Gladwin Primary School

While other schools in Brighton & Hove currently have some areas heated by low-carbon heat pumps, this will be the first in the council’s portfolio to have its gas boilers fully decommissioned.

Fossil free school

Councillor Tim Rowkins, Cabinet member for Net Zero and Environmental Services, said: “This will be our first school to be heated with no fossil fuels. It’s a great example of a whole-building approach, with energy efficiency improvements, solar panels and heat pumps all working together as a single system to eliminate carbon emissions.

“Gas is the biggest source of carbon emissions in the city, and non-domestic buildings like schools can be particularly energy-intensive to keep warm. Getting buildings like this off fossil fuels is an important step on the journey to net zero.”

The project has been part-funded by a successful grant application to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. Once commissioned, it is expected to reduce the school’s carbon emissions by around 19 tonnes per year.

Edgar & Wood, a local mechanical engineering firm based in Hove, has been appointed to carry out the work.

The first phase to replace the heating system will be in place by the end of October, in time for the winter. The remainder of the works are scheduled for completion in March 2026.

Find out more about BHESCo’s solar energy work with the city’s schools: https://bhesco.co.uk/blog/more-solar-power-for-brighton-hove-schools