Over 250 schools across England have signed agreements to receive funding for new solar panels and energy efficiency measures as part of an expanded scheme by Great British Energy and the government.
The initiative, which also targets NHS and military sites, will see schools benefit from a share of up to £100m in funding. The goal is to help schools cut energy bills and reinvest the savings into teaching and resources.
Twenty-three schools have already installed Great British Energy solar panels, including Notre Dame RC School in Plymouth and Christ The King RC Primary School in Manchester.
“Great British Energy is helping schools to save money on bills, meaning more money for textbooks and technology,” Energy Minister Michael Shanks commented.
Across the country, solar panels are going up on rooftops to power classrooms with clean, homegrown power. This is our clean energy superpower mission in action, protecting our public services with lower bills and energy security.”
Education Minister Josh MacAlister echoed this sentiment, stating: “Solar panels are slashing schools’ energy bills by thousands of pounds year after year, with the money going straight back into the textbooks and resources pupils need to succeed.”
Rocketing energy bills have put a strain on school budgets, and by allowing schools to generate their own electricity, it is estimated they will save millions, exceeding installation costs.
Great British Energy’s CEO, Dan McGrail, said: “Great British Energy’s ongoing solar rollout delivers tangible benefits to the people that need it most in our hospitals and schools.
“This not only provides clean energy to communities, it also ensures that the public own and benefit from these projects through energy security, good jobs and above all, real tangible local outcomes such as more funds to support teaching and health.”
The scheme prioritises schools and colleges in areas of deprivation across the North East, West Midlands, and North West, ensuring at least 10 schools in each region of England benefit.
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