Bright sparks from Benton Park showed they were switched on to the future with the installation of solar panels at their school.

The rooftop panels cost £20,000 and were installed with funding from The Co-operative as part of a £2m green energy for schools scheme which was match-funded by the Government’s low-carbon building programme.

The 1,450 strong school is among 80 across the UK chosen to receive funding for renewable energy technology as part of the second phase of the scheme.

Manager of The Co-operative Travel branch in Yeadon, Alison Bull, who nominated the school for the project said: “This clean, silent technology will help educate Benton Park School’s pupils about green energy as well as reducing the school’s reliance on fossil fuels.

“We hope the switch-on of the solar panels will send a strong message to the whole community about the urgent need to do what we can to tackle climate change.”

The 24 photovoltaic panels should generate around 3,300 kWh of electricity each year, enough to power a school computer for 33,000 hours or to make 180,000 cups of tea saving around two tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Pupils can keep track of how much renewable energy the panels are generating and the amount of carbon dioxide they have saved to date by checking a monitor in the school building.

The Co-operative has spent £1m installing solar panels at more than 100 schools across the UK since 2007. 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 over 20 schools.

Sarah Klueter, The Co-operative’s senior community manager, 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 a local school in this way.

“By switching on these solar panels, Benton Park School is teaching the next generation about climate change, while setting an excellent example to other schools, businesses and homes in West Yorkshire. We hope this will inspire wider efforts to reduce the whole community’s carbon footprint.”

Pupils and staff have welcomed their new rooftop solar panels. Year nine pupil Anna Crooks, aged 14, said: “I think renewable energy in our school is a fantastic idea and installing solar panels is just one of the many ways we can help to save our planet from global warming.

“I hope our school does more energy-saving activities to help the environment in the future.”

Headteacher David Foley added: “We are proud to be among the schools leading the way on renewable energy through this generous scheme.

“We are already working hard to reduce the school’s carbon footprint and switching on these rooftop solar panels will instantly boost our efforts while sending out a strong message about our commitment to helping the environment.”