Schools and colleges across England are set to save an estimated £220 million on energy bills over the lifetime of the solar panels through the government’s solar panels programme – and hundreds more are joining, as the Department for Education today (Thursday 16 July) announces the next wave of the rollout.
245 schools and colleges already have government-funded solar panels, slashing their bills and freeing up cash for pupils.
Now 100 more will join the Great British Energy Solar Partnership, backed by up to £40 million from government.
A further 150 schools and colleges across Yorkshire & Humber, the East Midlands and the South East will pilot a new model, with the private sector installing and maintaining high quality panels at no upfront cost.
The pilot is expected to help every school and college be able to access private-funded solar installed from next year.
This builds on the government’s wider support to help schools manage their energy costs, giving them greater certainty over their bills and helping protect budgets that can be spent on pupils.
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 – cash going 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.
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, and schools will simply buy the electricity generated at a rate significantly cheaper than their normal tariff.
The pilot will inform a national rollout from 2027-28, with the ambition that every school and college in England will eventually be able to access solar.
CEO and Founder of Solar Options 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.
The announcement builds on the success of the Great British Energy Solar Partnership, which is an investment of up to £255 million in total to install solar and complementary technologies on schools, colleges, NHS sites and military sites.
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, LIFT Feversham School in Yorkshire, 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!
The Department for Education’s Estates Strategy and 10 year plan is helping schools become more sustainable while reducing running costs, ensuring more money can be focused on delivering excellent education for every child.