Solarcentury: Enabling schools to ‘go solar’

Solarcentury, the UK’s leading solar energy company which has helped more homes, businesses and public buildings go solar than anyone else, today launches Solar4Schools, a new initiative to help British schools go solar in a bid to reduce rising carbon emissions.

The Solar4Schools programme will help make solar energy accessible for schools with the supply and installation of part-funded solar panels. Successful applicants will be provided with a 4kWp photovoltaic (PV) system, or multiples thereof. Without the Solar4Schools scheme each system would cost approximately £20,000; with the scheme the school pays only half the cost, a unique opportunity to access solar PV technology at a significant discount to the usual market rate.

If only 100 schools participate in the Solar4Schools scheme, each having a standard 4kWp PV system installed, their conversion to solar power will save a staggering 200 tonnes of carbon emissions each year; to otherwise offset this amount of carbon we would need to plant over 20,000 oak trees in the UK.

This clean, silent technology is likely to generate around 3,300 kWh per year - the average electricity consumption of a three bedroom house in the UK - saving nearly two tonnes of carbon dioxide from being emitted annually from each building and over nine tonnes per annum for large systems. An average school emits 30-40kg CO2 per m2, with two tonnes the equivalent of 5% of a 1000 m2 buildings’ emissions.

Solar4Schools is being launched following the appointment of Solarcentury by the Department of Trade and Industry to supply solar systems to public buildings, including schools, as part of its Low Carbon Buildings programme. The Low Carbon Building Programme will be funded primarily by £50million of the DTI budget.

Solarcentury has partnered with Scottish and Southern Energy to deliver solar installations with its electrical contracting business, Southern Electrical Contracting (SEC). The programme includes both existing properties and new developments, and therefore provides a range of strategic opportunities to develop low carbon buildings.

Jeremy Leggett, CEO Solarcentury says: “Solarcentury is delighted to be part of the DTI’s programme. We are excited to see the DTI committing to solar power. If schools and public buildings follow their lead they will find that solar in concert with energy efficiency can simply, immediately and dramatically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Photovoltaic technology is a widely available clean energy solution that is both very effective and requires little ongoing attention. Our 500+ systems across UK businesses, homes, schools and offices will be reducing C02 emissions by more than 25,000 tonnes over the next 20 years, and we stand ready to do many such installations.”

In addition Solarcentury will provide each of the successful schools with a free activity-based educational pack. The bespoke pack is intended to help educate and inform pupils about the challenge of climate change, and to highlight the importance of efficient energy use and renewable energy. Resources will include national curriculum lesson plans from key stage one to four on climate change, global warming, renewable and solar energy. Each school will also be given a display meter – which will also be available online - demonstrating the amount of energy being generated by their solar panels, and the total generation and carbon savings for schools to easily monitor progress. Each system comes with an export meter which will allow schools to sell electricity back to the grid when it is not needed, such as the school holidays.

Schools are invited to apply for funding at solar4schools.co.uk or to register interest by emailing their contact details to: solarschools@solarcentury.com.