£80m gov solar panel project to help 200 schools cut energy bills

The government has announced that 200 schools across the UK will benefit from new rooftop solar power and renewable schemes to save money on their energy bills, thanks to a £200m investment from Great British Energy. In another step forward for the government’s Plan for Change, the Energy Secretary has today (Friday 21 March) announced the first major project for Great British Energy - a company owned by the British people. It will immediately begin working with schools, the NHS, and devolved governments to install solar panels, build local clean power and bring down energy bills. In England around £80m in funding will support 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, with potential to sell leftover energy back to the grid. The first panels are expected to be in schools and hospitals by the end of summer 2025, saving schools money for the next academic year. 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. 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. Estimates suggest that on average, a typical school could save up to £25,000 per year, whilst the average NHS site could save up to £45,000 per year on their annual energy bill if they had solar panels with complementary technologies installed such as batteries. Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: “Right now, money that should be spent on your children’s education or your family’s healthcare is instead being wasted on sky-high energy bills Great British Energy’s first major project will be to help our vital public institutions save hundreds of millions on bills to reinvest on the frontline. Great British Energy will provide power for pupils and patients. “Parents at the school gate and patients in hospitals will experience the difference Great British Energy can make. This is our clean energy superpower mission in action, with lower bills and energy security for our country.” Education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, added: ‘With this investment we are backing our teachers and delivering for our young people – saving schools thousands on their bills to reinvest in a brilliant education for each and every child. The installation of solar will not only benefit schools financially, but will support pupils to develop green skills, promoting careers in renewables and supporting growth in the clean energy workforce. “With tough choices needed when it comes to public finances, cuts to energy bills is just one part of our continued support for schools, providing better life chances for our children and delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.”