UK Schools and Hospitals Receive £180 Million for Solar

Great British Energy, a new government-owned energy company in the UK, will install £180 million (approximately $232 million) worth of solar panels on hundreds of schools and hospital sites in the country.

About £80 million ($103 million) will go toward installing solar panels on about 200 schools, while another £100 million ($129 million) for rooftop solar at nearly 200 sites of the National Health Service (NHS).

Any excess energy generated that is not used by the schools or hospitals could be sold back to the local energy grid. The first solar panels are set to be installed before the end of summer 2025. 

According to Great British Energy, each school could save as much as £25,000 ($32,300) annually in energy costs. Hospitals are set to save even more, with up to £45,000 ($58,140) in savings per year if the solar is paired with battery storage technology.

Over a 30-year period, the initial investment could save the schools and hospitals as much as £400 million ($516 million) in energy costs.

“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,” Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said in a statement. “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.”

This will be the first project by Great British Energy, which was first introduced as a publicly-owned energy company focused on clean energy development in July 2024. As the BBC reported, the program is similar to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which aims to reduce emissions of public sector buildings by 75%, compared to a 2017 baseline, by 2037.

According to Great British Energy, about 20% of schools and less than 10% of hospitals in the country have solar panels. For this first project, less than 1% of schools will receive rooftop solar, BBC reported. But this has still been considered a positive move toward more sustainable and resilient energy sources.

“For many years, schools have been keen to lead the way when it comes to sustainable and greener energy,” Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said in a statement. “Some have already installed solar panels but most find it cost prohibitive. This announcement is therefore welcome and a step in the right direction. In the longer term, this should also help schools manage energy bills, which have been a source of enormous financial pressure in recent years.”

In addition to solar installations, the project will involve a collaboration between the appointed solar contractors and further education colleges to incorporate work placement opportunities, skill bootcamps, workshops and other career and learning opportunities. The project will also include £5 million ($6.5 million) in grant funding for community energy projects.

“By partnering with the public sector as we scale up the company, this will help us make an immediate impact as we work to roll out clean, homegrown energy projects, crowd in investment and create job opportunities across the country,” Great British Energy Chair Juergen Maier said in a statement. “We will work closely with communities to learn from the scheme so we can scale up energy projects across the country.”