One of Great British Energy’s first projects has been announced which will support public sector buildings in reducing their electricity bills. Their new scheme aims to install solar panels on 200 schools and 200 hospitals in the UK.
This investment in solar energy on public buildings will not only support the increase in renewable energy but will also assist schools and hospitals to reduce their energy bills significantly.
The government have announced this as part of their Plan for Change programme which should see approximately £80 million in funding to support around 200 schools and a further £100 million to support around 200 NHS sites in installing solar panels. The aim is that the solar panels can start to be installed as soon as the end of the summer so that the classrooms and operations can benefit from free electricity.
The government has chosen to select schools and hospitals as they have been particularly affected by rising energy costs and budget constraints, alongside having buildings that are ideally suited for solar panels. The NHS is the largest public sector energy user with an energy bill that has more than doubled since 2019 and is now estimated to be approximately £1.4 billion per year.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
“Right now, money that should be spent on your children’s education or your family’s healthcare is instead being wasted on sky-high energy bills.
Great British Energy’s first major project will be to help our vital public institutions save hundreds of millions on bills to reinvest on the frontline. Great British Energy will provide power for pupils and patients.”
Great British Energy has estimated that the lifetime savings of this project over 30 years could total £400 million. It is anticipated that schools could save up to £25,000 per year and hospitals up to £45,000 per year.
Currently, only 20% of schools and under 10% of hospitals have solar panels but the potential energy savings for the buildings is huge. For example, Hull University Teaching Hospital installed 11,000 solar panels which saved them an amazing £25,000 a month last summer. And a solar canopy over a car park at Leeds Teaching Hospital saved the trust £75,000 per year.
At SolarTherm UK, we applaud this investment as we have seen for ourselves the benefit that solar panels can have on public sector buildings. We have completed solar panel installations on schools including Bancroft’s School where we installed 300 solar panels to create 123,000kWh of electricity per annum.
Although this funding is going to schools and hospitals many organisations could also greatly benefit from installing solar panels and reducing their energy bills. Take a look at our projects – solar panels for industrial buildings, solar panels for factories and warehouses, solar panels for offices, solar panels for farms and agriculture, and solar panels for social buildings.
If your business or organisation has a large roof that you think might be suitable it could be worth considering our range of finance options to fund the installation of solar panels to help you reduce your energy bills and create energy independence. The savings you will make today from generating your own electricity will only increase as energy prices continue to rise.
To find out more about how much your organisation could save, fill in our online quotation form or use our live chat below to speak to us directly.
