A renewable energy project by Helston students has set the wheels in motion for a nationwide competition, a week after pupils officially launched the results of their studies.

Year ten students at Helston Community College have installed a small wind turbine on the school grounds, to power computers in the science laboratories.

The youngsters were asked to provide a budget for the scheme, order the equipment, build it, test it and film the various processes they went through, while working with Dean Miller, from the Tremough campus of the Combined Universities in Cornwall, throughout.

Their efforts have now paid off, with Lady Mary Holborow, the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, officially switching on the turbine at a special ceremony.

The aim of the project, which was called "Surfing the Windy Web", was to look for ways of reducing energy consumption and promote renewable energy within the school. As a result, the college was awarded £3,000 from the Royal Society to build a research wind turbine.

The successfully completed challenge has now sparked a nationwide competition organised by RM, a supplier of ICT equipment to schools across the UK, in which 100 wind turbine and ecoquiet PC project kits - which use less power - are up for grabs.

Roger McMinn, Head of Science at Helston Community College, said: "RM is to be commended for encouraging schools to teach pupils about renewable energy sources and energy saving. At Helston Community College the students were really engaged in the wind turbine project and ran it for themselves. I am sure that the winning schools in this competition will find the initiative equally motivating for their pupils."

Tim Pearson, chief executive officer at RM, said: "Schools produce five million tonnes of CO2 every year and school utility costs have more than doubled in the past four years. Schools and colleges are now taking responsibility for their impact on the environment and ensuring that energy saving strategies form an integral part of their programmes. With the roll out of these project kits across the UK it is hoped that energy saving will become a fun and interactive part of the curriculum for both teachers and pupils alike."