UK Announces $260 Million Rooftop Solar Power Schemes

Enabling consumers to save money on their energy bills, the UK Government along with Great British Energy (GBE) on Friday announced new rooftop solar power and renewable schemes worth around $260 million, to provide electricity to hundreds of schools, NHS trusts and communities across the country.

In another step forward for the government’s Plan for Change, the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said that this is first major project for GBE, a company owned by the British people, for the British people. It will immediately begin working with schools, the NHS, and devolved governments to install solar panels.

In England, around $103.71 million in funding will support around 200 schools, alongside $139.64 million for nearly 200 NHS sites, covering a third of NHS trusts, to install rooftop solar panels that could power classrooms and operations, with potential to sell leftover energy back to the grid.

The first panels are expected to be in schools and hospitals by the end of summer 2025, saving schools money for the next academic year.

Schools and hospitals have been hit with rocketing energy bills in recent years, costing taxpayers millions of pounds, and eating into school budgets. This has been driven by the UK’s dependency on global fossil fuel markets. The NHS is the single biggest public sector energy user, with an estimated annual energy bill of $1.81 billion, that has more than doubled since 2019.

GBE’s first investment could see millions invested back into frontline services, targeting deprived areas, with lifetime savings for schools and the NHS of up to $518.55 million over around 30 years.

Estimates suggest that on average, a typical school could save up to $32,410 per year, whilst the average NHS site could save up to $58,336 per year on their annual energy bill if they had solar panels with complementary technologies installed such as batteries.

In addition, local authorities and community energy groups will also be supported by nearly $15.56 million to help build local clean energy projects – from community-led onshore wind, to solar on rooftops and hydropower in rivers – that can help drive growth.

These could generate profits which could then be reinvested into community projects or take money off people’s bills. A further $12.06 million will power schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including community energy or rooftop solar for public buildings.

Ed Miliband said that right now, money that should be spent on children’s education or family’s healthcare is instead being wasted on sky-high energy bills. This project will be to help the UK’s vital public institutions save hundreds of millions on bills to reinvest on the frontline.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said that with this investment, the government was backing the teachers and delivering for young people – saving schools thousands on their bills to reinvest in a brilliant education for each and every child.

Latest Scenario

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. For example, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust installed a solar canopy over the car park at its Wharfedale Hospital site that will reduce carbon emissions by 43.7 tonnes per year and save the trust $97,227 annually.

A large project at Hull University Teaching Hospital has 11,000 solar panels which saved it around $324,091 a month last summer. The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust’s new solar farm at a former landfill site is expected to power the entire hospital site with self-generated renewable energy for around 288 days a year – saving around $25.93 million over the next two decades.

The schemes will target schools and hospitals with buildings that are able to accommodate solar panels in areas of England most in need. As part of this, government will select the schools which 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.