Schools

Working for you to achieve carbon reduction and carbon literacy education.

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From initial review to long term management and carbon literacy provision, we work with schools, councils, dioceses and trusts to make solar power possible at no risk to the school. We can also source grants and funding so schools don’t have to invest a penny.

Our impact so far

292
Schools managed
61,537
Panels managed
42 MWh
Clean energy generated each year
138,513
Students seeing solar in action
10,855 t
Total expected lifetime CO2 savings

See all schools we have helped so far

Foxfield School

Size: 276 kWp

Live since September 2019
Loyola College

Size: 441 kWp

Live since April 2019
Phorms Taunus Campus Frankfurt

Size: 82 kWp

seit August 2018

Our services

As an advisor

Solar for Schools works as an independent, specialist consultant, determining the most suitable system size based on your schools location and funding options. We then arrange surveys and planning permissions, select the equipment, choose installers, and oversee installation and commissioning. There is no risk to the school as we typically cover all these upfront costs and are then repaid from the funds raised to pay for the entire system when successful.
As a long-term partner

Although solar panels have no moving parts and are therefore inherently very safe and reliable, like all electrical equipment they need to be monitored and checked. Otherwise they can underperform or even stop working and potentially become an electrical hazard without anyone noticing. We remotely monitor and maintain each system from the savings generated by the solar panels over their 25-year lifetime. The better systems perform, the more each school benefits and the more we earn.
As an educator

A key part of our work is to involve the students in the process as much as possible, from initial review of a school online, to initial site survey and long term management of the system while providing energy and carbon literacy support to the school both on site and online. There is no additional charge for this as it is included as part of our asset management services. Additional education sessions and workshops are available for a moderate charge when we do not manage the solar system.

Funding Options

Most schools don’t have spare funds to invest in solar panels, so we work with the school, academy, diocese or trust to determine the most suitable funding option; from grants and donations to interest free loans and third party community based funds and co-operatives. Sometimes we combine multiple options depending on each school´s preferences and circumstances to try and make it work, now that subsidies for solar have ended. In a growing number of cases, it is still possible to go solar at no cost to the school and in some cases financial savings over time can be significant.

	We source funding	Partly funded system
Investment required	None	5-95% of total investment
Requirements	School provides roof and agrees to purchase electricity from the solar panels for 25 years	School provides roof and agrees to purchase electricity from the solar panels for 25 years
System owned by	Solar for Schools Community Benefit Society (CBS)	Solar for Schools Community Benefit Society (CBS)
Savings & Income	Electricity price locked to RPI means long term savings. Plus 50% profit share from CBS	50% profit share plus lower cost electricity resulting from financial contribution
Ongoing costs	All costs covered by the CBS After 25 years system either removed at no cost to school or donated to the school	School pays for insurance, management, tax and repairs School should budget to remove the system one day
Risk & effort required	Low risk & low effort	Lower risk & some effort
Total financial benefit	1-2 times the cost of the system	1-3 times the cost of the system

Next steps

See your school’s potential based on publicly available data by searching for it below:

Or see the potential of an entire
(Optional) Get a group of students to review your school´s roofs and improve the accuracy further by adding actual electricity consumption of the school to the Analysis..
Register your interest and we will review the school in more detail and contact you to discuss options and agree on the best way forward. There is no charge for this initial assessment.
Once we have determined what the funding mechanism will be and confirmed that it is economically feasible, we enter into an agreement with the school, trust, diocese or council to develop the project further and then fund, oversee construction and manage it for you. If at any step we determine that the project is not viable such as school roofs not being strong enough following a structural survey, we let you know and you are released from the agreement.

Educational services

We help inspire and empower students by delivering energy and carbon literacy education workshops and assemblies. We also provide online programmes for students to learn more about solar energy and we supply teachers with guides about our programmes.

Energy Literacy Education

It is much more than just an understanding of what´s on an electricity bill. Energy literacy means understanding the role and nature of energy in the universe and locally in our day-to-day lives and being able to strategize and conceptualise solutions for the challenges we face concerning our energy systems.

Carbon Literacy Education

Arming students with knowledge about actions they can take to reduce and mitigate the effects of climate change. Carbon literacy training creates an awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community, and organisational basis.

Workshops & Assemblies

The workshops and assemblies are provided free of charge for schools whose systems we manage. They are either delivered by our small in-house team of educators or one of our growing network of education partners around the country. Additional workshops can be ordered at a small charge of £100 and additional assemblies can be booked for £75, plus travel costs (minimum booking of 2 workshops and/or assemblies per visit)

- Site Explorer
  
  Lead students through surveying the school building to help to move a solar project forward. We provide guidance about what to look for during the inspection and best ways to involve and empower students. Utilising our online surveying tool, your findings will be captured and as students engage in project learning. (in development)
- Where does the energy come from??
  
  Together, different energy sources are identified, and they are categorized as renewable and non-renewable. Students complete different activities that help them apply their newly gained knowledge to deepen their understanding about energy and its sources.
- It´s electric!
  
  As a group, we work together to identify electrical devices and appliances. Where is electricity used in the classroom or at home? Students engage in different activities to highlight where electricity is used and identify where it can be saved or replaced by non-electrical devices. Advanced: students calculate how much electricity is being used at home or in the classroom.
- Let´s play Energy Jeopardy!
  
  Students receive a brief summary about the science of energy. They then compete in a game of Energy Jeopardy to test their knowledge. This is a fun way for students to apply their knowledge about energy and to learn new facts about energy around the world.
- Solar Champions (Offline Activity)
  
  Students learn about the sun and how we use its energy. Using aerial photographs, students cut out and paste solar panels on to buildings that have not yet gone solar, learning about how solar panels work and why they help a school become more sustainable.
- Solar Cell Experiment
  
  The build and efficiency of solar panels is tested by experimenting with different types of solar panels. Instead of just learning about how a solar cell works, students measure the output of the solar panels and identify the qualities important for solar energy generation.
- Solar Introduction Assembly
  
  An inspiring introduction to how solar energy works and why it is important. Students are engaged in an interactive presentation about solar and how a school uses electricity.
- Energy Introduction Assembly
  
  Students are presented with a thorough introduction to the topic of energy: what is it, what are its forms, how do we use it in schools and what are future energy challenges (and some solutions!).
- Our classroom uses how much electricity?
  
  In small groups, students use metering devices to take different measurements of electrical use of appliances in their classroom. As a class, they discover which devices in their classroom uses the most electricity. Advanced: Students can calculate the environmental impact of the use of certain appliances. Requirement: students need access to electrical outlets and should be able to easily unplug and re plug-in at least 4 electronic devices in the classroom.
- Carbon Literacy Programme
  
  We provide programming to help your students develop an awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis. These workshops are in development. Please inquire for more details.
- Carbon Introduction Assembly
  
  The science of the carbon cycle and climate change are briefly discussed. Identifying local parameters, the presenter gives students an idea of the area’s carbon footprint, and students are engaged in creating solutions to reduce their carbon footprint.

Our latest news and blogs

Frequently asked questions

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.
How much does a school save?

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.
How are savings calculated?

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.

Essential

Functional

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Schools

Our impact so far

292

Schools managed

61,537

Panels managed

42 MWh

Clean energy generated each year

138,513

Students seeing solar in action

10,855 t

Total expected lifetime CO2 savings

See all schools we have helped so far

Foxfield School

Loyola College

Phorms Taunus Campus Frankfurt

Our services

As an advisor

As a long-term partner

As an educator

Funding Options

Next steps

Educational services

Energy Literacy Education

Carbon Literacy Education

Workshops & Assemblies

Site Explorer

Where does the energy come from??

It´s electric!

Let´s play Energy Jeopardy!

Solar Champions (Offline Activity)

Solar Cell Experiment

Solar Introduction Assembly

Energy Introduction Assembly

Our classroom uses how much electricity?

Carbon Literacy Programme

Carbon Introduction Assembly

Our latest news and blogs

Winds of Change

Why I am joining "Solar for Schools"

Watch as communities around the world turn the lights on for the very first time

Frequently asked questions