- 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.
