UK Government backs solar PV in schools

The updates to the report focused on increasing mid-size solar PV deployment on commercial and industrial buildings and completing one million roof installations by the end of 2015.

Rudd said: “One of the ambitions in the Government’s strategy for the sector is to maximise the potential of deployment on the country’s buildings, in particular the as yet little tapped sector of mid-sized rooftops, including those of our schools.”

Solar advantages

In her letter, Rudd outlines the main benefits of solar to schools, including:

– Reduced electricity bills
– Revenue generation – a steady income stream solar PV generated for schools over a 20 year period using the Feed-in Tariff
– Significantly reducing CO2 emissions
– Education and engagement – educating pupils on the benefits of sustainability through a working example of renewable technology

Rudd pointed out that: “Companies as diverse as Sainsbury’s and Bentley have fitted big panels on their buildings and I am keen to see schools benefiting in the same way.”

Last month, Sainsbury’s head of sustainability Paul Crewe threw the supermarket’s weight behind the argument for more rooftop solar in the UK.

Lois Vallely