LADYMEAD Community School, in Taunton, is reducing its carbon footprint by installing 32 solar panels to help generate some of the school's energy.

The panels, funded by Somerset County Council and the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, will be used as an educational tool to show how carbon emissions can be reduced by using renewable energy.

A screen has been installed to display the amount of energy they produce and the reduction in carbon emissions.

The initiative will reduce Ladymead's annual carbon emissions by 1.8 tonnes - more than an average household produces in three months.

Cllr Alvin Horsfall, Somerset County Council's Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Development, said: "Ladymead is the first secondary school in Taunton Deane to install solar panels.

"The council supported the project to help inform young people and the local community about renewable energy sources."

Cllr Claire Gordon, who represents Taunton North, said: "It's a great example of teaching young people about sustainable energy.

"Pupils and teachers will benefit from the solar panels and the display board as a new and interactive teaching resource."