The panels, paid for by the Co-operative Group and the government's Low Carbon Building Programme, will generate renewable electricity to help reduce the reliance on fossil fuels at the Townhead joint campus.
A monitor screen in the school will sh
ow how much energy the panels - to be installed by Solarcentury, a leading solar energy company - are generating, and how much carbon dioxide they have saved to date.
The school will also be able to look at their energy data on the internet, along with educational materials which teachers can download for use in the classroom.
Councillor Isobel Strong, Argyll and Bute Council's education and lifelong learning spokesperson, said: "It is fantastic that Rothesay Primary School is among the schools chosen to receive free solar panels through this generous Co-operative initiative.
"Schools have a vital role to play in educating the next generation about climate change, and using this renewable energy technology to power our own premises will really help us to bring that message home to pupils, parents and staff."
Malcolm Brown, acting manager of the Co-op's Rothesay food store, said: "As a community retailer with strong green credentials, it is great that we are helping our local school in this way.
"As well as cutting carbon dioxide emissions and saving the school money on electricity bills, the rooftop solar panels will serve as a reminder to the whole community of the urgent need to tackle climate change."
Rothesay Primary's green credentials are already well known on Bute and far beyond - in the last few months alone the school has received a Green Flag award from Eco Schools Scotland, the top accolade given by the scheme, in recognition of its work in raising environmental awareness among its pupils.
Along with their Townhead neighbours at Rothesay Academy, the school's efforts in establishing a campus vegetable garden have also attracted a visit from the team behind the popular BBC Scotland programme The Beechgrove Garden for a piece to be broadcast later this year.
The Co-operative Group - which announced this week that it is to purchase the Somerfield supermarket chain, resulting in another change of ownership at Rothesay's main supermarket - is already enthusiastic about its approach to green issues.
The group already buys virtually all of its electricity from renewable sources, while its CIS Tower in Manchester boasts the largest vertical array of solar panels in Europe.
The full article contains 448 words and appears in The Buteman newspaper.
