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Schools across England to cut bills with Great British Energy solar panels.

Pupils across the country will benefit from more money for textbooks and teaching, as Great British Energy’s solar rollout continues to help schools cut their energy bills.

As part of an expanded scheme to fund solar panels for NHS sites, military sites and schools, over 250 schools across England have signed agreements to benefit from a share of up to £100 million in funding from Great British Energy and government for new solar panels and other energy efficiency measures.

23 schools have now installed Great British Energy solar panels and are cutting their energy bills, from Notre Dame RC School in Plymouth to Christ The King RC Primary School in Manchester. This has allowed savings to be reinvested in school services as part of the government’s clean energy superpower mission, enabling communities to reap the benefits of homegrown, clean power.

This is part of the government’s drive to make all public buildings more climate resilient. The government is building all new schools to be climate-resilient and net-zero in operation as part of the School Rebuilding Programme. 

Rocketing energy bills in recent years have eaten into school budgets. This has been driven by the UK’s dependency on global fossil fuel markets over which government has no control. By enabling schools to generate their own electricity, it is estimated schools will save millions, far more than installation costs.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:   

Great British Energy is helping schools to save money on bills, meaning more money for textbooks and technology.  

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.

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.

Education Minister Josh MacAlister said:    

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. 

This is part of our wider work to drive national renewal, rebuilding more than 750 schools in every corner of the country.

The scheme will target schools and colleges with buildings that are able to accommodate solar panels in areas of England most in need. As part of this, the government has selected schools that will be primarily clustered in areas of deprivation in the North East, West Midlands and North West, as well as at least 10 schools in each region of England.

Each region includes a further education college which will work with the contractors appointed to promote careers in renewables to support growth in the construction and renewables workforce. This could be through work placements, skills bootcamps and workshops.

This follows the government’s commitment to curriculum reforms which will strengthen climate and sustainability education across geography, science, citizenship, and design and technology – from year one through to a new Natural History GCSE – helping to ensure pupils understand the planet, take action on climate change and develop the skills for a greener future.   

This is alongside all nurseries, schools and colleges being called upon to put in place a climate action plan, while empowering young voices through Youth Sustainability Champions to help advise, evaluate and champion sustainability in education. 

The rollout of these solar panels marks progress in Great British Energy and government’s Local Power Plan that will ensure the benefits of the government’s clean energy mission are felt at a local level, with energy security, good jobs and economic growth – while also helping to rebuild the nation’s public services.

Mark Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Bellevue Place Education Trust, London said:  

We are delighted to have Kilburn Grange School and Halley House School enrolled in the Great British Energy’s solar programme in addition to other Bellevue Place Education Trust schools. Last year, all our schools collectively achieved a 9.4% reduction in energy consumption, saving £299K in energy bills, which we can invest back into the education provision for our pupils.

Nicola Malone, Head Teacher of Christ the King Roman Catholic Primary School, Salford said:    

We are very proud that Christ the King is benefitting from the Great British Energy Solar Partnership programme. The solar installation will make a lasting difference for our school, whilst showing our children the value of sustainability and emphasising our shared responsibility for the world around us.

Notes to editors 

We are announcing 255 schools, these are subject to site surveys and may change:

School name	Postcode	Local authority	Region	Complete?
Bishop Lonsdale Church of England Primary School and Nursery	DE22 3HH	Derby	East Midlands
Lees Brook Academy	DE21 4QX	Derby	East Midlands
Sharley Park Community Primary School	S45 9BN	Derbyshire	East Midlands
Clowne Junior School	S43 4BS	Derbyshire	East Midlands
Castle Mead Academy	LE3 5QT	Leicester	East Midlands
Melton Vale Sixth Form College	LE13 1DN	Leicestershire	East Midlands
The Joseph Whitaker School	NG21 0AG	Mansfield	East Midlands
St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School	NN3 2AX	Northampton	East Midlands
Firbeck Academy	NG8 2FB	Nottingham	East Midlands
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy	NG8 3GP	Nottingham	East Midlands
The Bulwell Academy	NG6 8AQ	Nottingham	East Midlands
The Suthers School	NG24 3NH	Nottinghamshire	East Midlands
Samworth Church Academy	NG18 2DY	Nottinghamshire	East Midlands
Carlton Academy	NG4 3SH	Nottinghamshire	East Midlands
Northampton Academy	NN3 8NH	West Northamptonshire	East Midlands
St Marys C of E Academy	SG5 4DL	Central Bedfordshire	East of England	Complete
Roydon Primary Academy	CM19 5HN	Essex	East of England	Complete
Avanti Meadows Primary School	CM23 1FQ	Hertfordshire	East of England
Manor Drive Primary Academy	PE4 7EP	Peterborough	East of England
Manor Drive Secondary Academy	PE4 7EP	Peterborough	East of England
Westfield Primary Academy	CB9 0BW	Suffolk	East of England	Complete
Kedington Primary Academy	CB9 7QZ	Suffolk	East of England
Laureate Community Academy	CB8 0AN	Suffolk	East of England
Place Farm Primary Academy	CB9 8HF	Suffolk	East of England
Harris Academy Chafford Hundred	RM16 6SA	Thurrock	East of England	Complete
Harris Garrard Academy	DA18 4DW	Bexley	London
Kilburn Grange School	NW6 7UJ	Brent	London	Complete
Harris Primary Shortlands	BR2 0HG	Bromley	London
Harris City Academy Crystal Palace	SE19 2JH	Croydon	London	Complete
Harris Primary Academy Benson	CR0 8RQ	Croydon	London
Halley House School	E8 2DJ	Hackney	London	Complete
St Mark’s Church of England Academy	CR4 1SF	Merton	London
St Helen’s Catholic Primary School	E13 8DW	Newham	London
Channel website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-energy-security-and-net-zero Original article link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/schools-to-cut-bills-with-great-british-energy-solar-panels Share this article X facebook linkedin Latest News from Department for Energy Security & Net Zero Technology and energy ministers discuss grid reform at AI Energy Council meeting 02/12/2025 11:20:00 The latest meeting of the AI Energy Council - the final round of discussions for 2025 – has taken place in London. What does the Autumn Budget mean for your energy bills? 28/11/2025 16:10:00 Billpayers to benefit from an average of £150 off the costs of energy bills. North Sea Future Plan for fair, managed and prosperous transition 27/11/2025 09:15:00 Government sets out plan to manage existing North Sea oil and gas fields, protect jobs and grow clean energy industries. Taskforce calls for radical reset of nuclear regulation in UK 25/11/2025 11:20:00 Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce publishes final report and calls for radical reset of overly complex nuclear regulatory system. New Energy Resilience Strategy to better protect infrastructure 19/11/2025 09:10:00 A new government strategy will help safeguard critical energy infrastructure and protect consumers and businesses from costly disruption.  Discounts for families to keep warm in winter and cool in summer 18/11/2025 13:10:00 Boiler Upgrade Scheme has been expanded to include air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries giving families more choice in how they upgrade their home. North Wales to pioneer UK’s first small modular reactors 13/11/2025 11:20:00 Anglesey set for thousands of new jobs as Prime Minister confirms Wylfa will host UK's first small modular nuclear reactors. Delivering the Energy Mission – progress to date and next steps 06/11/2025 14:20:00 Speech given yesterday by Energy Minister Michael Shanks to the Cornwall Insight annual energy conference 2025. Climate plan captures clean energy benefits and boosts investment 30/10/2025 14:20:00 Working families and businesses will benefit from clean energy and climate action, as the government seizes the opportunities of the clean energy economy. Links Contact Us Client Testimonials Subscriber Testimonials Forgot Password Contracts Locator The WiredGov Privacy and Cookies Policy Follow Us X facebook linkedin Registered Office WIRED GOV LTD 7 St Petersgate, Stockport, Cheshire SK1 1EB www.wired-gov.net Registered in England and Wales No. 04667736