First schools install Great British Energy solar panels

Pupils across the country will benefit from more money for textbooks and teachers, as the first schools are announced in Great British Energy’s rooftop solar rollout to cut energy bills.

Schools are benefitting from funding for rooftop solar, with the first 11 schools estimated to save £175,000 per year after installing Great British Energy solar panels. The remaining schools set to benefit will be announced this summer, with all schools that are part of the scheme expected to have solar panels installed by the end of the year. 

It follows the government’s announcement in March to award £180 million of funding for schools and hospitals to install rooftop solar, marking the first major project for Great British Energy – a company owned by the British people, for the British people.

In England, around £80 million is supporting around 200 schools, alongside £100 million 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. 

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 £400 million over around 30 years.

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 over which government has no control. 

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

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.

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.

Great British Energy Chair Juergen Maier said:

Within 2 months we are seeing schools supported by our scheme having solar panels installed so they can start reaping the rewards of clean energy – opening up the opportunity for more money to be spent on our children rather than energy bills.

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, crowd in investment and create job opportunities across the country.

Education Minister Stephen Morgan said:

Through our Plan for Change, this government is supporting schools to save schools thousands on their bills so they can reinvest money saved into ensuring every child gets the best start in life.

The installation of solar panels will also help pupils to develop green skills, promoting careers in renewables and supporting growth in the clean energy workforce.

Currently only about 20% of schools have solar panels installed, but the technology has huge potential to save money on bills.

Estimates suggest that on average, a typical school could save up to £25,000 per year if they had solar panels with complementary technologies installed such as batteries. 

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

Notes to editors

The list of hospitals benefitting was announced in March and installations will start to complete this summer.

The support will target schools with buildings that are able to accommodate solar panels in areas of England most in need. As part of this, government is selecting the schools which will be primarily clustered in areas of deprivation in the North East, West Midlands and North West, as well as at least 10 schools in each region. Each cluster will include a further education college which will work with the contractors appointed to promote careers in renewables to support growth in the construction and renewables workforce. This could be through work placements, skills bootcamps and workshops.

Backed by £8.3 billion over this Parliament, Great British Energy will own and invest in clean energy projects across the UK. This will range from supporting local energy, like the solar power schemes announced today, to the £300 million invested to support offshore wind supply chains – unlocking significant investment in major clean energy projects that will revitalise the UK’s industrial heartlands with new jobs, alongside securing Britain’s energy supply.

11 schools to have installed Great British Energy solar panels