The newly created GB Energy has announced that their first project will be funding the installation of solar panels on around 200 schools in England and 200 NHS sites.
Currently only about 20% of schools and under 10% of hospitals have solar panels installed. A solar panel system could save the average school up to £25,000 per year on their energy bills. The figure for NHS sites is around £45,000.
These saving will be reinvested into schools and the NHS as part of the government’s Plan for Change. With an annual bill of around £1.4bn, the NHS is largest user of energy in the public sector.
The schools will receive around £80m in funding and the NHS sites £100m. Another £12m will go to local authorities and community groups to fund clean energy projects and £9.3m to schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The funding will go to schools and hospitals in deprived areas of England that can accommodate solar panels. The government will select schools in the North East, West Midlands, and North West, with at least 10 schools per region. Each cluster will include a college to promote careers in renewables through work placements, skills bootcamps, and workshops.
Alex Green, head of Ashden’s schools campaign Let’s Go Zero welcomed the news: ‘The huge potential of Great British Energy has always been about giving citizens and communities a real stake in—and direct benefit from—the clean growth story of the 21st century. It’s great to see the first steps in that vision taking shape in schools and hospitals, which sit at the heart of every community.
‘At Let’s Go Zero we know solar on schools is a success—cutting bills, inspiring young people, and strengthening vital public services. Schools often lead local clean energy initiatives but these efforts rely heavily on school fundraising, but with greater government support, they can scale more quickly and effectively.’
The 5,600 schools who have signed up to Let’s Go Zero can get free expert advice on how to decarbonise and save money on energy bills from local Climate Action Advisors and guidance on financing is available for retrofit and renewables.
Ashden’s UK Policy Lead, Will Walker, added|: ‘There is overwhelming public support for community energy – with 78% of people agreeing communities should own and benefit from local energy – so making sure the financial and regulatory barriers and capacity challenges are faced will be the next stage of the GB Energy journey.
‘Great British Energy’s announcement today is the start of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to scale community and local energy – this isn’t just about generating power — it’s about generating resilience to energy price rises, local wealth and pride in the places people live, work and play.
‘We hope that this government will stop the previous start-stop policy changes and provide certainty on the full £3.3 billion Local Power Plan at the Spending Review. To unlock its full potential we need long-term funding, capacity support prioritised in low-income communities, and market and policy reforms that deliver fair returns and real community benefit.’
Photo: Andrew Aitchison/Ashden