Solar for schools and academies
Energy is one of the few large costs a school carries that is neither staff nor buildings, and it is the one with the least predictability. Solar takes a portion of it and fixes it for the long term.
Why it fits the education estate
School buildings tend to have broad, simple roofs and a demand pattern that sits squarely in daylight hours. Term-time weekdays are when a school draws the most power and when an array generates the most. That is a better match than many commercial sites manage.
The obvious counterpoint is the summer holiday, when generation peaks and occupancy does not. It is a real factor and we would model it honestly rather than around it. In practice it changes the sizing of a system rather than the case for one.
The budget argument
- No capital outlay under a funded agreement, so it does not compete with teaching, staffing or building budgets.
- Typical reductions of up to 30% on electricity costs, with the saved spend available for anything else.
- A fixed long-term rate on generated power, which makes multi-year budgeting less exposed to energy market swings.
- Where a funded agreement does not suit, purchase from capital or grant funding may still stack up, and we will say so.
Trusts and multi-academy estates
Multi-academy trusts are usually best served by assessing the whole estate and starting with the two or three sites where the numbers are strongest. Roof condition, orientation and consumption vary enormously between schools within the same trust, and it is common for one site to carry a far better case than its neighbours.
The curriculum angle
Schools frequently want generation data made visible to students, which is straightforward to arrange through monitoring displays. It is not a reason to install solar on its own, but it is worth raising early if it matters to you.
Where we work
We work with schools, academies, multi-academy trusts, sixth forms and colleges across England, Scotland and Wales. Both single schools and trusts running a portfolio of sites are welcome to ask, and there is no cost either way for finding out whether solar panels for your school would stack up.
How we work
Hawthorne assesses the site and handles the commercial side, then introduces you to an accredited funding and installation partner who designs, installs and maintains the system. There is no cost to the school for our involvement, at any stage.
Related reading
- Solar for warehouses and distribution centres
- Solar for manufacturing businesses
- Solar for care homes
- What is a solar Power Purchase Agreement?
- Common questions about fully funded commercial solar
The first step
A free desktop assessment. We use your site address and a recent electricity bill to model what your roof could produce and what it could be worth. No site visit, no cost, no obligation.
Common questions
We are a maintained school, not an academy. Does that change things?
It can affect who needs to approve the agreement, since the local authority may hold the freehold. It does not rule you out. Establishing who signs is one of the first things worth checking.
What about the summer holidays, when nobody is on site?
Generation continues while occupancy drops, so a portion is exported rather than used. It affects how a system is sized rather than whether it makes sense, and it is modelled properly in the assessment.
Will work happen during term time?
Installations are routinely scheduled into holiday periods where that suits the school. It is agreed with you rather than imposed.