Schools

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

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From initial review to long term management and climate 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

340
Schools completed
74,060
Panels managed
53 MWh
Clean energy generated
167,555
Students seeing solar in action
13,312 t
Avoided CO2

Our international community of schools

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.
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 climate 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 stakeholders to determine the most suitable funding option: from grants and donations to interest free loans and social impact funds. Sometimes we combine multiple options depending on each school´s preferences and circumstances. In a growing number of cases, it is possible to go solar at no additional cost to the school while in some cases financial savings over time can be significant.

	We source funding	Partly funded system	School funds system
Investment required	None	5-95% of total investment	100% 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	School pays for all development costs and any ongoing costs related to maintenance & insurance
System owned by	Solar for Schools Community Benefit Society (CBS)	Solar for Schools Community Benefit Society (CBS)	The schools, council or trust
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	Receives subsidy income and can use electricity at no cost
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	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	Higher risk & effort
Total financial benefit	1-2 times the cost of the system	1-3 times the cost of the system	1-4 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 climate 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.

Reception - Year 6

Climate Science Literacy

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

Year 6 and up

Workshops and 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 3 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)
  
  Duration: 45-60 min.
  
  Age: Year 3+
- 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.
  
  Duration: 30-60 min.
  
  Age: Reception-Year 6
- 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.
  
  Duration: 30-60 min.
  
  Age: Reception-Year 8
- 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.
  
  Duration: 30-60 min.
  
  Age: Year 4 - Year 8
- 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.
  
  Duration: 45-60 min.
  
  Age: Reception - Year 6
- 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.
  
  Duration: 45-60 min.
  
  Age: Year 4+
- 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.
  
  Duration: 15-40 min.
  
  Age: Whole school, KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4.
- 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!).
  
  Duration: 15-40 min.
  
  Age: Whole school, KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4.
- 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.
  
  Duration: 45-60 min
  
  Age: Year 4+
- Climate 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.
  
  Duration: 45-90 min.
  
  Age: Year 6+
- 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.
  
  Duration: 15-40 min.
  
  Age: KS2, KS3 and KS4

Our latest news and blogs

Frequently asked questions

How do we decide if we want to fund and own our own panels?

• We work with schools who want to own and not own their own solar pv systems: so can support in either option.
• Our usual pathway is the fully funded route - i.e. to cover all project costs for a school. This requires that our organisation takes on the ownership so that we can then act the liable / legal body to cover schools for costs associated with ownership after installation - i.e. costs associated with upkeeping, insuring and generally maintaining systems.
• This works for most schools because it reduces costs falling on schools and financial risk, but we understand some do prefer to own thier own panels and electricity.
• If ownership is preferred: this route is self-financed rather than funded by our organisation through the community funding / crowdfunding approach we usually use.
• It is up to the school to whether self-financing or being fully funded works best for their needs. Either pathway, we can support the school to manage and deliver so they don't have to.
What is Solar for Schools?

SFS is **a UK wide programme ** offering partly OR fully funded solar pv projects, (with all or most costs covered on a school’s behalf).

It is open to schools of **all governance types, geographic locations and student numbers ** across the UK.
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.

Essential

Functional

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Schools

Our impact so far

340

Schools completed

74,060

Panels managed

53 MWh

Clean energy generated

167,555

Students seeing solar in action

13,312 t

Avoided CO2

Our international community of schools

Foxfield School

Loyola College

Phorms Taunus Campus Frankfurt

Our services

As an advisor

Long-term partner

As an educator

Funding Options

Next steps

Educational services

Energy Literacy Education

Climate Science Literacy

Workshops and 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?

Climate Literacy Programme

Carbon Introduction Assembly

Our latest news and blogs

Harnessing the sun - the power of the meaningful partnerships

Solar for Schools launches partnership with National Grid

We won the UK Innovate Inclusion Award!

Frequently asked questions