Great British Energy to cut bills for hospitals and schools

Great British Energy’s first project will put rooftop solar panels on 200 schools and 200 hospitals – cutting energy bills.

Currently only about 20% of schools and under 10% of hospitals have solar panels installed, but the technology has huge potential to save money on bills.

Charlotte Bonner, Co-Lead for Climate Ambassadors stated:

“We welcome this significant investment in solar panels for schools, which marks an important step in decarbonising the education estate. It’s great to see Great British Energy focus on education through one of its first initiatives, given the critical role of the sector in enabling sustainability action.  

Through the Department for Education funded Climate Ambassadors programme, we are supporting education settings from early years to further education colleges embed sustainability across their entire ethos – from buildings to biodiversity, from curriculum to careers. This funding should not only transform school rooftops but also inspire young people to be changemakers in their communities. Schools are central to wider local climate action planning, and we look forward to working with our volunteers and the education settings they work with to ensure this investment is maximised for long-term impact.”

The support will target schools and hospitals with buildings that are able to accommodate solar panels in areas of England most in need. Whilst the schools will be primarily clustered in areas of deprivation in the North East, West Midlands and North West, schools in Devon still need to have a climate action plan in place by 2025 and have nominated a sustainability lead.

After DAG’s successful seminar on Environmental Sustainability last summer we are following up with a Spring DAG Community Network for Governors and Trustees online seminar on Environmental Sustainability on 2nd April 2025 at 6.00pm to hear from Climate Ambassadors on what boards should be doing to stay up to date with the requirements to have a climate action plan in place.

The online seminar will be open to all involved in school governance across Devon, so please reserve your place as soon as possible by contacting  [email protected].