First schools install Great British Energy solar panels

• Schools part of the scheme by Great British Energy are set to save £175,000 per year
• In England, around £80m is supporting around 200 schools to install rooftop solar panels
• Currently, around 20% of schools have solar panels installed

Eleven schools across the country have installed solar panels, thanks to Great British Energy and its £180m funding to cut bills for schools and hospitals, saving £175,000 per year. 

The remaining schools set to benefit from the funding will be announced this summer, with all schools part of the scheme expected to have solar panels installed by the end of the year. 

In England, around £80m is supporting around 200 schools, alongside £100m for nearly 200 NHS sites, covering a third of NHS trusts, to install rooftop solar panels that could power classrooms and operations, while giving them the potential to sell leftover energy back to the grid. 

Energy minister Michael Shanks said that Great British Energy’s first investment could see millions invested back into frontline services, targeting deprived areas, with lifetime savings for schools and the NHS of up to £400m over around 30 years. 

He said that schools and hospitals have been hit with “rocketing energy bills” in recent years, costing taxpayers millions of pounds and eating into school budgets. This has been driven by the UK’s dependency on global fossil fuel markets. 

“Solar panels on school rooftops mean energy bills are cut and money can be invested directly into improving young people’s education while helping to tackle climate change for the next generation,” he said. 

“Great British Energy is delivering rooftop solar as part of our Plan for Change that will support communities for generations to come, relieving pressures on our vital public services and ensuring investment is made in the future of our young people”.

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Currently, around 20% of schools have solar panels installed, but the technology has the potential to save a typical school of up to £25,000 a year, if they had a solar battery installed too. 

Juergen Maier, chair, Great British Energy, said he is already seeing the schools benefit, adding that there is “potential for more”. 

The £180m funding will support the government’s clean power mission, as well as helping to build the nation’s public services. It forms Great British Energy’s first local investment, kickstarting the Local Power Plan and ensuring the benefits for his national mission are felt at a local level, with energy security, good jobs and economic growth. 

“By partnering with the public sector as we scale up the company, we will continue to make an immediate impact as we work to roll out clean, homegrown energy projects, crown in investment and create job opportunities across the country,” Maier said. 

Written By

Tamara Birch Newsletter and sponsored content editor

Tamara is a London-based journalist and has written about environmental topics for more than four years. This includes advising small business owners on cost-effective ways, like solar panels and energy-efficient products, to help them become more sustainable.

She has used her journalist and research skills to become highly knowledgeable on sustainable initiatives, issues, and solutions to help consumers do their bit for the environment – all while reducing monthly costs.

In addition to adopting sustainable practices in her personal life, Tamara has worked in the retail B2B space to help independent retailers think about their environmental choices and how they can help improve their business. She now uses this knowledge to help consumers do the same.

Her passion for sustainability and eco-friendly solutions stems from a long obsession with nature and animals and ensuring they feel looked after. In her free time, Tamara enjoys reading fantasy novels, visiting the gym, and going on long walks in new areas.

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Maximilian Schwerdtfeger Content manager

Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.

In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.

He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.

Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.

As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.

His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.

Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history and ghost stories. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.

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