Frequently asked questions
Costs and savings of the panels
How much will it cost to obtain a solar system in my school?
Nothing, we cover all upfront costs. The funding comes from socially minded investors and the school will purchase the solar electricity consumed. If the school is suitable to carry panels on its roofs, a simple agreement will be signed before we start. We are tasked with the installation and management of the system for its lifetime enabling us to recoup our investment over time. We are not a solar installer; we are a solar asset manager dedicated to helping schools everywhere contribute to a better environment whilst teaching future generations about renewable energy.
Savings depend on where the school is located, how much electricity they use and how big a system can be installed. The further south and the larger the school, the lower the cost per unit of generated solar power and the more the school can save. Try our online calculator to see an initial estimate for your school. Note that even if the price per unit of solar power required to make the economics work for funding partners is greater than what the school pays today, as electricity prices continue to rise faster than inflation, the school may still save money in the long term. Solar power is a good long-term hedge against rising electricity prices.
The savings with a funded model are the difference between what the school pays for the renewable versus what it pays for mains for the proportion of energy that is supplied by the funded solar system. Over time, savings also come from the lower interest paid for the renewable electricity vs. the higher interest from the mains. If the school invests in a system, then the power would be free to the school and the savings are the proportion of energy delivered and used where you do not have to pay for mains power. In addition to your savings as the owner and investor in a system you would in some instances also receive income from exporting any spare electricity.
What funding options are available?
From grants and donations, to interest free loans and third party community based funds and co-operatives. Sometimes combining multiple options depending on each schools preferences and circumstances.
Can I donate money to my school so they get even cheaper or even free electricity?
Yes, some schools will try and raise donations to increase their savings from the solar panels, please contact the school's bursar
Solar on my school
What can I do to help a school go solar?
We have available a design and calculation tool for you to use to help a school go solar. The first step is to get a good idea about how many solar panels could fit on the school’s roof. The next step is to think about who should fund the solar project. And of course, you will have to talk with the decision-makers about permission to complete the project. We’ll help you with each step.
Why should I help a school go solar?
Getting a solar project up and running at your school is a great thing to do for a number of reasons. As you may have already learned, solar panels produce electricity for your school from sunlight, which is a clean way to generate electricity. This helps your school become more sustainable. Secondly, you being involved in a solar project gives you a voice: if you want to help build a more environmentally-friendly future, a solar project at your school is a great place to start. Lastly, when you use the tools, we have available on our website, you have us as your partner to help you be successful, so you are not alone!
How do I start designing a solar panel system for a school?
This is the first step. Use our design tool to draw a solar panel system on an aerial photo of your school and see what it would look like if your school had solar panels!
What’s the next step after designing a solar panel system for a school?
After you have designed a solar panel system for your school, the next step is to figure out who should fund the solar project. On each school profile, you will find information about funding and a summary of the money savings your school would have with solar. After this is considered, a report can be prepared and given to the Head Teacher or Business Manager to move the project forward.
Can I be involved in surveying my school for solar panels?
Yes, of course! We have a workshop that leads you through what you need to look for at your school. A site survey is an important next step to go solar after you have gotten permission from the Head Teacher or Business Manager. During the survey, you will gather important information for the installers about the building, like location of the main meter, what the electrical room looks like and what is the structure of the roof. The survey you can do with an Eco-Club or with a teacher, and it should take about 45 minutes.
What do we need to qualify as an Installer?
1: ID and DBS certification.
2: Sign agreement where you are accountable for paperwork, H&S and RAMS.
3: Pricing agreed upfront.
Can we provide the panels and materials?
Yes, depending on the offer.
Can we take care of planning, commissioning and maintenance?
No, that service is provided by us.
How do we find out about jobs?
Please register/email us as an installer, structural engineer, or planner providing your locations, qualifications, and rates. Then, we will add you to our roster. We will be in touch with you when the opportunity will present.
What are the requirements to become a partner?
For Affiliate partners:
1: Minimum age: 18 or parental consent.
2: Strong network with schools.
3: Access to internet, email address and mobile phone with camera.
For Local partners:
1: Experience working with schools and an interest in solar power.
2: Work exclusively with us in regard to solar projects on schools in a given area.
3: Act as a volunteer or independent contractor having other sources of income.
4: Comply with schools safeguarding rules and conditions.
5: Have in place public liability insurance (contractors).
For Education partners:
1: Experience teaching classes about sustainability, energy, and carbon literacy.
2: Use our programmes, materials, and workshops.
3: Experience working with children all ages.
For Corporate partners:
1: Contacts with schools.
How long is the partnership for?
For one year with automatic renewal when wanted.
What are the advantages of partnering with SfS?
1: We provide you with all materials and tools to help schools go solar and/or provide energy and carbon literacy education.
2: There are financial benefits for you.
3: Continuous work opportunities since there are many schools in the country to help go solar.
Online learning
What can I learn on this website?
There is a lot to learn on the Solar for Schools website and we will show you where to look. Take part in finding out where these knowledge nuggets are stored by clicking on the Energy Bee at the top of each page. You will learn about how solar technology works, about climate change and carbon emissions, about electricity use at your school and about the impact of going solar and choosing green technologies.
Where can I find live power charts for my school?
Check out the schools who have gone solar with us. You will find a solar profile for each school where there are live power charts for each of them.
What information is shown in the power charts?
Each chart shows you five different aspects of a school’s electricity profile. Specifically, you can see a school’s electricity use (or consumption) and import from the main grid, as well as the school’s solar electricity generation, self-consumption and export. You can see live data displayed in 15-minute intervals in addition to historic data displayed in week, month, annual and lifetime charts.
How can I use the power charts?
You can get a lot of insight about how a school uses and generates electricity by looking at the power charts. Get an idea about the times of day when a school uses the most electricity, or figure out which month is the best month for solar electricity generation. We lead you through making these discoveries, so check it out!
Where does the data come from that is shown in the power charts?
The charts are created by using data from on-site electricity meters at a school. These meters collect data on the amount of electricity being imported or exported by the school as well as the electricity generated by the solar panels. The meters are connected to the internet and data is uploaded to our servers regularly.
Is Planet Watch compatible with all smartphones?
For more information about how to access Planet Watch, please visit Solar Schools’ website.
Yes! You can download the app from the app store for free and start playing!
An inquisitive question indeed, well done! We calculate the carbon savings from a solar panel system by first adding up the amount of electricity that the solar panels generate. Then, we compare the carbon emissions that would be emitted if that amount of electricity came from the main electricity grid instead of from the solar panels (remember--solar panels generate zero-carbon electricity). This comparison is the amount of carbon savings that the solar panels provide.
To calculate the amount of carbon emissions from the main electricity grid per unit of electricity, we look at something called the carbon emission intensity of electricity generation. This measurement differs between countries. This is due to the amount of renewable energy each country has supporting its main electricity grid. You can find the data we use here. Ultimately, we make a calculation that accurately reflects the impact that the solar panels have on carbon emissions reduction in the region, so it is a meaningful number to show your teachers and parents!
We know that a tonne of carbon is hard to visualise; what is the impact of saving a tonne of carbon? To help answer this question, we compare carbon savings to different things; one example is the number of trees that would store the same amount of carbon. In the following links, you can learn more about these carbon savings equivalences:
Hardwood Trees store how much carbon? https://www.co2meter.com/blogs/news/could-global-co2-levels-be-reduced-by-planting-trees
Meat production from conventional livestock farming emits how much carbon? http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/197623/icode/
We also know that it is hard to comprehend how much electricity can be generated by the solar panels; what can 10,000 kWh of electricity power? To help you understand the amount of electricity that solar panels can generate, we look at how much electricity powers electric vehicles. Specifically, we show you how many e-vehicles can be powered for one entire year! We use data about the amount of electricity needed to power an e-vehicle per km from this source, and we use data about how many km a car travels in a year from this dataset. Did you know that the average distance traveled by a car differs depending on the country? Makes sense--England is quite a bit smaller than Germany!
If you want to learn more about trees and the role they can play in slowing climate change, find a short report from the London Imperial College from July 2020 here.
Or is you want to learn about the importance of diet choices on slowing down climate change, read more about why local food choices may be better than vegan eating.
Your solar electricity and the process to obtain solar panels
What are the school’s load requirements?
We look at your bills over the year to look at your electricity needs and from this we can work out what the best sized system is and how much energy a particular system will contribute to that overall need/load.
How long does the process of obtaining panels take?
Once we have a signed agreement, it takes 2-4 months depending on what surveys need to be done and how busy we are. It can also depend a little on if the school needs the work to be done during school holidays. The first hurdle and most time-consuming step is getting the school leadership on board. The initial review we prepare for each school is designed to help with this. How long it takes to convince the leadership team varies and is usually the longest task. From a few minutes to a few months. From then on, we will need a few signatures from the Head teacher, the answers to some questions regarding the buildings and access to the buildings to complete the necessary surveys and then install the system. If we are crowd funding with the school, significantly more involvement is required in order to market the investment opportunity to parents and the local community.
Do I need to change my energy supplier to take advantage of the solar panels?
No. Although you may want to change to a green electricity provider so that you are 100% renewable.
Can I change electricity provider during or after the agreed period?
You may change your mains electricity provider at any time, but under the agreement you will continue to purchase electricity generated from the panels at the discounted rate adjusted for RPI.
Could one use batteries to save the difference and save more?
Technically yes, economically speaking no. Battery systems currently cost more than trading electricity with the grid. In some countries like Italy and Germany, the economics are starting to work, so we do see a day when we may offer batteries to schools in the same way as we offer solar today. As a result of the recent changes to UK subsidies, that day is getting closer.
Yes, systems will produce according to targets and these are set according to your location. You can chart and check your generation against the projected targets.
Installation and maintenance
Can we choose when our panels are installed?
Yes, we can arrange installation at any time of the year and when it suits the school.
We can install 10 kW per day. Also, we can arrange installation at any time of the year and when it suits the school. You will be given a dedicated liaison person who will arrange your installation and work with you to select the right time and circumstances for your installation, as quickly as possible so you can start saving money.
What is the name and country of origin of the panel and inverter manufacturers?
Our technical teams use a variety of panel and inverter manufacturers. We are looking at performance carefully to ensure that the systems are proven to be robust enough but equally have some of the latest technological features, good customer service and cost. The systems currently being built have Trina panels, SolarEdge inverters and Schletter mounting systems. We are happy to discuss the choice of components in more detail if you wish.
What are the response times for service under warranty?
Most of the manufacturers order replacement inverters from factories in Europe, so there is a time delay. As an owner you have to pay for labour costs but we offer an asset management programme that will chase manufacturers so downtimes are limited as much as possible. The response times are a consideration when selecting the type of inverter to install.
What is the expected durability of the panels and what is the decline in efficiency with time?
Panel manufacturers claim 80% efficient after 20 years (1% degradation a year) but the reality is less than 0.5% - this is based on experience.
We are currently working with Steve Finnegan at the University of Liverpool on a collaborative project with University of Cambridge to study LCA (life cycle analysis) and the carbon and energy used for solar installations using panels that are manufactured in different parts of the world.
The actual lifetime of a system is around 30 years in practice as long as it has been well maintained. Our programme maintains the systems for the 25 years of our contract and would be given to the school in full working order.
You think something is wrong with your solar panel installation. What should you do?
We usually know when something is wrong with the installation right the way due to our online monitoring system. In case you notice something is wrong and we have not contacted you, please message your appointed contact or email us.
Sustainability
How does solar help a school be more sustainable?
When a school installs solar panels, it has made the choice to reduce its carbon footprint and to become more sustainable. Sustainability is a principle about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Therefore, as a school shifts away from using electricity generated from fossil fuels towards generating its own electricity from sunlight, the school is making itself more resilient. The majority of a school’s carbon footprint come from its electricity use, so going solar is a great way to take a huge stride in becoming more sustainable.
How will you help us engage with sustainability?
Once you decide to go solar with us and take advange of our educational programmes, together we are engaging in sustainable practices for the school! You only need to be part of our solar schools community and we will provide you with clean renewable energy and sustainable education to make sure that children accelerate the pace of change towards a carbon neutral society.
What is our current carbon budget?
Our carbon budget is the amount of carbon emissions that can be emitted before we reach a dangerous level of global warming. The threshold we focus on is 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, because beyond 1.5 degrees humans will not be able to control warming trends and their effects. A consensus among different climate models is that we have used up over 60% of our carbon budget and must emit only 420 giga-tonnes before we reach the threshold of 1.5 degrees of global warming. At the current rate of carbon emissions, we will emit those 420 giga-tonnes by 2028.
Why is our carbon budget rapidly decreasing?
Unfortunately, we are using up our carbon budget very quickly and have incredibly high carbon emissions due to our industrialised world that runs off burning fossil fuels for energy. Not only that, but the effects of already 1 degree Celsius of global warming are starting to compound themselves: for example, due to global warming, ice caps are melting releasing trapped carbon and methane into the atmosphere and reducing the albedo of the earth, which in turn increase the absorption of heat in the ocean and heats the planet even more. These processes in nature have been causing spikes and increasing carbon emissions, and they will continue to do so.
General information about solar panels
How does solar photovoltaic (PV) work?
Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells are made into panels which can be attached to a roof. Each cell is made from layers of semi conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers. The more sunshine, the more electricity the panels can produce.
How long will solar panels last?
The actual lifetime of a system is around 30 years in practice as long as it has been well maintained. For the invertors, it is 10 years.
Can a solar power system start a fire?
No. Fires caused by solar panel systems are extremely rare, which is why they hit the news when it happens. In all cases the fires were started by incorrect electrical installations or short circuits caused by mishandling or neglect of the cables rather than failures in the modules or inverters.
How safe is a solar panel system?
Very safe. Solar panel systems are relatively simple, have no moving parts and are generally out of reach. If there is a risk that children could tamper with a solar power system, then low voltage systems are available to eliminate the risk of a fatal electric shock.
School visits
How often do we visit your school?
Part of going solar with us is receiving in-school educational support about solar energy, sustainability and carbon literacy. We offer assemblies and workshops that are tailored to each age group which are dynamic, engaging and informative. We typically coordinate these visits to coincide with our maintenance visits, therefore we will visit your school on an annual basis.
Where can you find information about the assemblies and workshops we offer?
We have descriptions and more information about all of our offerings on our website under the section of Schools. Check it out!
How can you request a workshop or assembly?
Please contact Sarah with your request and she will be happy to coordinate a visit: sarah@solarforschools.co.uk