Solar panels to help slash school energy costs

Large arrays of photovoltaics will be installed, maintained, insured and monitored at no cost to the schools or Rotherham Borough Council.

A total of 62 applications were made for Low Carbon Buildings cash and eight succeeded—securing a total of £515,000.

The set-up cost will be matched by the council’s project partner Nationwide Solar, which invests in small-scale energy-saving projects.

The eight are Rockingham Primary, Greasbrough Junior and Infant, St Bede’s Primary and Rawmarsh Sandhill Primary, as well as Thrybergh Primary, Anston Greenlands Primary, Anston Hillcrest Infant and Anston Hillcrest Junior.

It is expected that each school will save between £900 and £2,700 a year, based on 2010/11 prices.

A council spokesman said: “All the projected figures showed a substantial annual saving on electricity bills.

“There is a risk that the Government would cancel the Feed In tariff (a fee paid to suppliers contributing power to the National Grid). This risk is primarily taken by Nationwide Solar, which is investing the capital in the project.

“Projections of output and potential financial savings are based on light level analysis carried out by Nationwide Solar engineers and are to be taken with caution. Actual output is weather and light level dependant.

“Cabinet members welcomed this opportunity to realise savings and noted Rotherham’s success in the stringent bidding process.

“It was also noted that there were proposals to fit photovoltaic panels at the remaining 54 schools in Rotherham in the future.”

Nationwide Solar will cover its capital costs by claiming Feed In grants, set for 25 years by the Government. The schools will receive free electricity and ten per cent of the Feed In tariff.

The tariffs were introduced by the Government to help increase the level of green energy, with the UK target of 15 per cent from renewables by 2020.

A Nationwide Solar spokesman said: “Schools can play a major part in educating our children to choose green, renewable energy rather than the planet-destroying fossil fuels we rely on today.

“By installing a solar power system, the school can use all the free electricity produced, while getting paid for the power generated.

“Most importantly, the system can be used as the centre point for green, renewable energy education throughout the entire school. There has never been a better time to invest in solar power.”

Projects must be complete and grants claimed by the end of February 2011.