Solar savings for schools

Schools and colleges across England could save an estimated £220 million on energy bills over the lifetime of the solar panels through the government’s solar panels programme. The Department for Education today [Thursday, 16 July] announced the next phase of the rollout, with hundreds more schools and colleges set to join.

Expanding access to solar power

245 schools and colleges already have government-funded solar panels.

Now 100 more are set to join the Great British Energy Solar Partnership. The government says it will back the scheme with up to £40 million.

The DfE expect a further 150 schools and colleges across Yorkshire & Humber, the East Midlands and the South East to pilot a new model, where the private sector will install and maintain high quality panels at no upfront cost.

The government expects this pilot to help every school and college access private-funded solar installed from next year. It believes this initiative will give schools greater certainty over their bills. Government also claims it will protect budgets that can be spent on pupils.

Savings for schools and colleges

New government figures say secondary schools who have had solar panels installed, and their lights upgraded to LED lighting, are saving £58,600 a year, and primaries £21,000. It claims that this allows cash to go straight back into teaching and clean, home-grown power for the classroom.

Education secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

“Every pound a school saves on its energy bills is a pound that can be spent where it matters most – helping children achieve and thrive.

“These figures show our solar programme is already saving schools millions of pounds every year, with some secondary schools saving almost £60,000 annually.

“We’re going further – expanding this programme so hundreds more schools and colleges can cut their bills and put that money straight back into the classroom.”

A new model for national rollout

The government has announced that, under the new private sector solar pilot, schools, colleges and government won’t pay a penny upfront. Private investment will be subject to quality checks and will then fund, install, own and maintain the panels. The goal is for schools to simply buy the electricity generated at a rate significantly cheaper than their normal tariff.

The government says this pilot will inform a national rollout from 2027-28. The ambition is for every school and college in England to eventually be able to access solar.

CEO and Founder of Solar for Schools, Robert Schrimpff said:

“We’ve been working with schools and the Department for Education for a decade, so the launch of this new solar PPA pilot, is a significant step.

“It should unlock public and private sector in a way that will make it easier for schools to access all the benefits of having solar power.

“These benefits should include lower electricity costs, no long-term monitoring and maintenance costs, operational peace of mind, and support to inspire education that builds on sustainability skills that will help shape the future. Where this can be combined with community ownership, this is incredibly powerful.”

Energy secretary, Ed Miliband, said:

“Schools across the country are set to save millions on their energy bills thanks to Great British Energy solar panels.

“Now hundreds more schools and colleges across the country will benefit from this pilot scheme, helping them to bring down their bills with clean homegrown power and put more money back into classrooms where it belongs.”

One of those schools is LIFT Feversham School in Yorkshire. It saved around £23,000 on energy bills in the first year after installing solar panels alongside other energy efficiency measures.

LIFT Feversham Principal, Naveed Idrees said:

“Far from being a bolt on, the Great British Energy Solar Partnership programme became a core part of our spiritual, social and moral curriculum.

“It has brought the curriculum to life, created capacity to engage the community and changed mindsets for life. And did I mention the financial savings!”