A planning application to build a wind turbine for one of the Island's schools has drawn praise from an environmental group.

Last week, a planning application for the construction of a wind turbine at the Berkeley Institute earned conditional approval from the Development Applications Committee.

The application, received on May 25, is for a 4-kilowatt vertical wind turbine.

Stuart Hayward, Chairman of the Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) said the move could not only help the environment, but also help educate.

"Increasing the awareness of young people to alternative energy sources is a positive move," he said.

"Their creative energy needs to be directed to the compelling issues of per capita consumption of energy and the number of energy consumers, both of which are on the rise."

Berkeley would not be the first of the Island's schools to turn a focus to the environment. Earlier this summer, Elliot Primary announced that it was working to earn its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Along with cutting its water and energy consumption, Elliot Primary's Growing up Green scheme will feature workshops and projects to encourage environmentally conscious behaviour from its students.

Mr. Hayward said that other industries should follow the examples being set by the schools.

"The business community, cooperative housing associations and the government would do well to make the jump to sustainable energy, and to engage the consumption/ consumer issues."