- Government-backed company to roll out solar panels to community buildings across England
- Move follows initiative to put panels on schools and hospitals earlier in the year
- Liverpool, Manchester, Tees Valley and Greater London among the areas to benefit
Great British Energy has said it will save communities an estimated £35 million on energy bills by installing solar panels and batteries on buildings such as libraries, fire stations, care homes and leisure centres.
In a statement, Great British Energy, the government’s publicly-owned clean energy company, said it had awarded £10 million in grant funding to mayoral authorities across England, including Greater London, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, the West Midlands and the Tees Valley, and much more.
For more information on what governments grants there are for solar power, visit our dedicated page.
The company claimed that the savings will mean authorities will have more to spend on frontline services that “boost local economic growth”.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said the plans will mean more money can be spent on “the services that make working people better off”.
| Mayoral Authority | Technology | Project type | Grant Funding Requested (£) | Total expected project costs | Estimated Net Yearly Average Energy Bill Savings (£ undiscounted, 2025 prices) | Estimated Net Lifetime Energy Bill Savings (£ undiscounted, 2025 prices) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Lincolnshire | Solar | Leisure centres and fire stations | £607,845 | £627,845 | TBC | TBC |
| South Yorkshire | Solar | Schools, outdoor covered market and library | £572,025 | £615,397 | £51,938 | £1,558,131 |
| Greater London Authority | Solar | Schools | £607,838 | £674,220 | £30,376 | £911,280 |
| Hull and East Yorkshire | Solar | Service buildings and car parks | £700,000 | £1,842,879 | £89,822 | £2,694,647 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | Solar | Police headquarters, car park and border canopies | £700,000 | £774,226 | £51,630 | £1,548,886 |
| Greater Manchester | Solar | Libraries, fire stations, police stations and sports centres | £695,900 | £1,301,800 | £71,846 | £2,155,384 |
| North-East | Solar | Schools | £700,000 | £749,946 | £46,060 | £1,381,806 |
| York and North Yorkshire | Solar | Leisure centres, libraries, schools, transport sites | £700,000 | £1,219,948 | £134,898 | £4,046,936 |
| West Yorkshire | Solar | Police stations, Arrium plant nursery, primary school, sports centres and Lotherton Hall Estate | £700,000 | £1,154,838 | £275,669 | £8,270,082 |
| Tees Valley Combined Authority | Solar | Solar on roof of depot and public buildings | £444,738 | £444,738 | £34,664 | £1,039,911 |
| Liverpool City Region | Solar | Leisure centres and care homes | £700,000 | £1,460,319 | £152,402 | £4,572,054 |
| East Midlands | Solar | Former colliery | £700,000 | £1,900,000 | £113,340 | £3,400,200 |
| West Midlands | Solar | Schools | £700,000 | £820,000 | £58,474 | £1,754,207 |
| West of England | Solar | Schools | £700,000 | £1,657,522 | £54,123 | £1,623,697 |
| Total | £9,228,346 | £14,543,678 | £1,165,241 | £34,957,222 |
Great British Energy’s CEO Dan McGrail said the plans would provide a “lasting positive impact” on the country by “creating new jobs” and lowering bills.
As well as solar panels, the grants will also include money for solar batteries in community buildings, which will mean more communities will be able to store clean energy for later use.
The announcement comes off the back of expressions of interest submitted by Mayoral Strategic Authorities for renewable energy project funding for the 2025/26 financial year.
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For example, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will use the money to install solar panels on care homes and leisure centres, which will save an estimated £4.6 million.
Greater Manchester will do so on libraries, police stations and sports centres, and it is believed lifetime savings on energy bills will be £2.1 million. Similar projects in York and North Yorkshire are expected to cut energy costs by £4 million.
It follows the government’s announcement in March to award £180 million of funding for schools and hospitals to install solar panels.
