Solar Panels for Schools, Colleges and Universities

Cut energy costs and reduce your school's carbon footprint with solar panels for schools from AR Power.

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Education Providers Helped Across the UK

Solar PV Systems Designed and Installed

Solar Panels Installed Across All Projects

kWh of Energy Generated Per Year

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The Benefits Of Solar PV For Schools And Academies

Solar panels offer many benefits for schools and other education providers, including:

Cost Savings: Solar panels provide free electricity, helping save money on the essential energy costs associated with running a large school or university.
Highlight Your Commitment To Renewable Energy: Schools are key parts of the local community, so highlighting your commitment to sustainability with environmental projects like solar panel installation can have a huge ongoing benefit and help you to engage with the wider community.
Meet Governmental Targets: The Department for Education has created an ambitious roadmap for the future, and you can help achieve this by installing a solar PV system on your school buildings.
Archive Energy Independence: Schools need a reliable energy supply to ensure that they’re able to provide the services students require; by installing solar panels, educational establishments can reduce their dependency on external energy companies.
Additional Revenue Sources: If schools choose, they have the opportunity to sell excess energy back to the National Grid, which can be an additional source of revenue.
Educational Opportunities: With solar panels, your school has the chance to teach kids about renewable technology.

To make the most of the benefits, your school needs to find the right solar installer. AR Power offers a range of options to help schools make the most of solar power.

What AR Power Has To Say About Solar For Schools

Mark Dunville, Technical Director at AR Power, commented on the importance of solar panels for schools and other education providers:

“Installing solar to schools, colleges and universities is a great way to save money on energy costs and to become more sustainable as an education provider.

“Successfully delivering several projects in this industry has enabled us to become experts when designing, planning and installing the systems, ensuring everyone is kept safe, with minimal disruption to students.”

Schools, Colleges and Universities we have installed solar to:

Bishop Auckland College (Direct)

Benton Primary School, Newcastle (Newcastle City Council)

Castle View Enterprise Academy (Sunderland County Council)

Durham University (Direct)

Egglescliffe School (Contractor)

Forest View Primary School, South Shields (South Tyneside Council)

Harton Primary School, South Shields (South Tyneside Council)

Keelman’s Way School, Hebburn (South Tyneside Council)

Newcastle University (Direct)

Northumbria University (Direct)

St John’s Chapel (Durham County Council)

University of Bradford (Direct)

University of Sunderland (Direct)

Woodland Primary School (Durham County Council)

School Solar Panel Installations By AR Power

See all the previous energy efficiency projects we’ve carried out at schools throughout the North East and across the UK.

Bishop Auckland College

This was a 253.38kWp SolarEdge system, made up of 618 panels which would generate 227,218 kWh of energy per year. The college would consume 86.2% of the energy generated by the panels…

Keelman's Way School

Because they have a wide range of facilities including a cookery room, library areas, sensory room, swimming pool, the school knew they needed to do something to help reduce their carbon…

Bradford University

The University have 8 inverters installed across the 3 buildings; some have their own plant rooms. All inverters are now fed back to a main switch room within the University buildings…

University of Sunderland

We installed 4 separate solar panel systems to 4 roof tops including the City Space, Edinburgh, Gateway, and Prospect buildings. Our in-house team designed every solar install…

Trust Us To Install Your School's Solar Panel System

Funding School Solar Panel Installations

Solar panel installation costs might seem high, but as the panels generate electricity for your educational establishment, the cost savings outweigh the initial investment in the long run.

For schools, universities, academies and colleges that can’t afford the initial cost of solar PV panels but want lower energy bills and make the most of all the other benefits of installing solar PV systems, there are many funding options available.

Solutions such as CapEX funding or asset finance allow education providers to install a solar system and then pay for it in stages.

There is also a power purchase agreement, where an investor purchases the solar panel system needed to power your school, and then you buy the energy from them. A power purchase agreement is effectively a lease, and at the end of the term, your organisation will own the solar panels.

Additionally, as an education provider, your organisation might be entitled to grants to cover the cost of solar panels. This is especially true of public sector organisations, as there might be funding available for the introduction of green technology to address climate change. Contact your local government and funding authorities for available government grants.

With all these options, you can find the best way to fund the transition to renewable energy and start making the most of solar panels for schools.

Integrating Solar For Schools Into The Curriculum

Solar panels aren’t just a cost-saving renewable energy solution; they’re also valuable curricular resources. With solar panels, you can show your pupils the importance of embracing renewable energy and highlight how these tools work.

Understanding how solar panels work and the importance of renewable energy can help turn your students into responsible citizens. They will learn the importance of lowering their carbon footprint and will be able to see the benefits of further environmental projects, which they might want to champion.

From geography and science to IT and maths, solar panels can help pupils in almost every subject, so they’re a useful teaching tool that could help your organisation to nurture future bastions of environmental sustainability. Whether you manage a school, college, university or another education provider, you can find ways to make the most of your solar system and include it in the curriculum.

AR Power are more than happy to talk to your students about renewables and the solar PV industry.

Why Schools Can Rely On AR Power For Solar Panel Installation

AR Power is a leading commercial solar panel installer. Alongside our work with a wide range of companies, over the past 13 years, we have installed 27 solar PV systems for 14 education providers across the North East and UK, including schools, colleges and universities. We’re trusted by a range of local authorities throughout the North East, including Sunderland, Durham, Newcastle and South Tyneside councils.

In total, we have installed a total of 5464 solar panels for the education sector, which will collectively generate 1,871,117.06kWh and enable them to reset 417,259kg of CO2 annually. We’re always looking to expand our reach and continue working with new education providers throughout the country. Our team can work directly with schools, universities, academies and trusts, providing clear communication and expert support.

When you work with us, you’ll get the benefit of our bespoke design system for your new solar PV system. We have our own in-house design teams as well as our own highly experienced and meticulous installers, enabling us to maintain a high level of quality in every solar installation. As well as roof mounted solar panels, we also install solar battery systems, ground mounted solar panels and solar carports. Our team can also carry out ongoing solar panel maintenance throughout the life of your system.

So, whatever type of building your educational establishment has, we can design a custom solar PV system that meets your needs and then keep it running efficiently. With our solutions, many schools, colleges, academies and universities throughout the country can enjoy reduced energy bills and greater independence from the increasingly unstable traditional global energy markets.

Frequently Asked Questions About Solar Panels For Schools

Do Schools Need Planning Permission To Install Solar Panels?

In the UK, most schools will not need planning permission for solar panels, especially if they are installing solar PV systems on the property’s roof space. In this and most cases, solar panels are classed as a permitted development, meaning that they are exempt from planning permission.

If the solar panels are going to be fitted to a listed building, are a ground mounted array, or if the school is part of a World Heritage Site, then you might need to contact your local authority or community group to ascertain if you need permission before you begin your installation project.

Do Schools Pay VAT On Solar Panels?

Most schools will pay 0% VAT on solar panels, but other education providers, such as universities, may have to pay the standard rate of 20%. Speak to your solar installer to find out more about your VAT situation.

How Long Does It Take To Install Solar Panels To School Buildings?

Installation time will depend on the size of the solar panel system required for your school or university.

Once we have approval from the Distribution Network Operator for your proposed setup, it will take a few weeks to schedule and plan the work.

After that, it can take between a week to a few months to complete the installation project, depending on its size. This work can be scheduled during school holidays to minimise disruption.

Our projects team will confirm the timeline with you when we provide our initial plan and keep you informed throughout the process.