Streets could soon have their own solar panels or village halls their own wind turbine when a green energy pilot scheme gets off the ground.

The Renewable Energy at Local Level (Reall) project was launched today at Catchgate Primary School near Stanley.

The ground-breaking environmental project is being piloted in County Durham and Northumberland and aims to get community groups to ditch fossil fuels in favour of more environmentally-friendly power.

Reall will help them apply for grants or find companies who can provide or install solar panels, wind turbines or wood heating systems, which use waste wood products.

Project manager Bridget Gubbins said the region could even see solar powered bus shelters. She said: "This is for any official group, or even a group of friends or neighbours who would like solar panels."

Catchgate Primary has already attracted much attention for its ecologically sound building.

Its energy is provided by a 20m wind turbine in the school grounds with surplus energy being supplied to the national grid.Amongst the many other environmentally-friendly fittings is a tank to process rainwater that can be then used in the school and a heating system that burns wood waste products.

Headteacher Ken Joel said: "The fittings were all incorporated into the school when it was rebuilt in November last year. It was part of the design brief to have as many ecological designs as possible."

Reall is hoping other organisations will follow the primary's lead.

At yesterday's launch people saw for themselves the school's wind turbine, as well as the hi-tech wood heating system, wind and solar panels that generated electricity and solar water heating panels.

Reall is run by Durham and Northumberland Rural Community Councils, which have offices in Lanchester and Morpeth and is funded by the Countryside Agency, One NorthEast, County Durham Local Agenda 21's Partnership Project Fund and lottery money.

For further details contact Reall on (01670) 505451 or (01670) 517178 or e-mail REALL@ccn.org.uk.