A CONSERVATION group is planning to turn a shed into a source of supplying electricity.

GCSE and A-level applied science students from Teesdale Comprehensive School will be at the Teesdale Conservation Volunteers (TCV) site in Barnard Castle, conducting a number of experiments.

The first will see a shed transformed into a power station using sustainable methods of generating electricity.

Martin Bacon, from TCV, said: "In the shed, we are going to have four banks of batteries and we are going to do different experiments on them to see what the best method of generating electricity is.

"We are going to use wind, water and two types of solar power.

"We will put solar panels on the roof of the shed to generate electricity. It's in the perfect place and gets sun all day long.

"We have also built a small solar system, which will heat water we are going to use when we make bio-diesel from the cooking oil from Deerbolt."

TCV were recently awarded a £5,000 grant by Teesdale District Council for its Rotters community composting scheme.

The non-profit scheme collects garden waste from 5,500 households in Teesdale before turning it into compost to resell.

Mr Bacon said: "It is growing faster than we thought it would and we really need people to get involved.

"We have been here nine years and we have always had very good numbers.

"This year, numbers have got quite low, but obviously we still have a job to do and we are hoping people will help us.

"People can help in all sorts of ways - they can drive, help with the pick-ups, they can help on site and they can make or bag compost.

"Now the summer's here, hopefully we can get people outside and get them doing something useful."

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact TCV on (01833) 690022.