- GB Energy to invest in rooftop solar for 200 schools and 200 hospitals
- Initiative should cut £400 million in energy costs over the next 30 years
- Savings can be invested back into education and the NHS
Great British Energy (GB Energy) will put rooftop solar panels on 200 schools and 200 hospitals in a bid to save millions of pounds in energy bills as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
It is the first clean tech project for GB Energy, a national energy company launched by the Labour government last year, and will cost £200 million.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero estimates that the schools and hospitals involved will save £400 million in energy costs over the next 30 years.
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Schools on average will save £25,000 a year in their energy bills, while an NHS trust will cut its costs by about £45,000 a year; this will be invested back into education and the NHS.
This sum will also include £12 million to help build local clean energy projects – from community-led onshore wind, to solar on rooftops and hydropower in rivers.
According to the government, the savings from these community projects will be reinvested to help cut household energy bills.
The NHS is the single biggest public sector energy user, with an estimated annual energy bill of £1.4 billion, a figure that has more than doubled since 2019.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said the project will help protect “vital public institutions” and “save hundreds of millions on bills” to invest in frontline services.
“Parents at the school gate and patients in hospitals will experience the difference Great British Energy can make,” Miliband said.
“This is our clean energy superpower mission in action, with lower bills and energy security for our country.”
Bridget Phillipson, education secretary, said the installation of solar will not only benefit schools financially, but will “support pupils to develop green skills, promoting careers in renewables and support growth in the clean energy workforce”.
GB Energy chair Jurgen Maier said it would help make “an immediate impact” as the government rolls out clean, homegrown energy projects and will “create jobs across the country”.
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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.
Using clean energy to cut energy bills and carbon emissions was one of Labour’s key pledges before the election, and it has since put considerable amounts of money into helping households get clean energy technology, including solar panels and heat pumps.
It has also become a key part of the UK’s long term energy security, which has come under pressure with rising bills and continuing war in Ukraine.
Industry reaction
Unsurprisingly, the news has been met positively by the clean energy industry. Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK, described it as a “very wise investment”, and said that every penny put into solar photovoltaics will help teach the next generation the value of renewable energy.
Charles Wood, deputy director, Energy UK expressed hope that these projects are “just the start” of a “real growth in community-led energy, creating jobs, boosting growth, and lowering energy costs by making the most of local resources”.
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Wood also called for more private investment to be involved in the bid to help achieve the UK’s clean energy targets, saying it is “key to delivering local and community energy projects across the country”.
“The energy sector looks forward to sharing its expertise, capabilities, and investment to develop a robust community energy sector that benefits consumers, communities, and our economy,” Woods explained.
The UK has a binding target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels, and it has some interim targets, including reducing emissions by 68% by 2030 and 78% by 2035.
It has so far made commendable progress, reducing carbon emissions by 53% compared to 1990 levels, according to government data.
Ami Whatsize, Bid Manager from energy provider Geo Green Power, described the government initiative as “a game changer” and that it will provide “a clear and structured pathway” for public sector organisations to adopt renewable energy while ensuring long-term cost savings and sustainability.
Whatsize also praised the GB Energy for providing a “dedicated funding and national framework” that will help “accelerate installations and maximise impact”.
“Schools and hospitals will not only benefit from reduced energy bills but also gain greater control over their energy costs in the face of market volatility,” Whatsize explained.
Do the government’s plans go far enough?
Earlier this year the government unveiled its Planning and Infrastructure Bill, legislation which it said would speed up approval for and deployment of clean energy projects.
This followed on from an Autumn Budget during which chancellor Rachel Reeves reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to clean technology but was also criticised for allowing fossil fuel projects, such as approving a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
While the present initiative has been universally welcomed, there are some murmurings that it does not go far enough.
Dale Vince, founder of energy provider Ecotricity, called on the government to go further and launched a “rooftop revolution”, and stated that the current plans are not enough.
“Welcome as these investments are, they are small,” Vince told The Eco Experts.
“Our studies show the vast potential of Britain’s rooftops, to be a significant generator of green power (25% of what we need to build) and bill reducer for millions of homes. We need to go big on this.”
