The cost of living crisis continues to affect everyone across the world. This is a worrying period for schools, as budgets are not increasing as much as the required spending continues to do. 47% of primary schools say they are looking to save money, with energy bills being one of the main areas of concern.
From serving as a cost-saving technique to allowing enhanced educational understanding, every school can benefit from adding solar panels to their sites.
What Advantages Do Solar Panels for Schools Offer?
The number of solar panels have increased by 6.7% in recent years across the UK, which shows a positive increase for this sustainable technology solution. For schools, solar panels can offer a cost-effective way to enhance utility spend and many other benefits.
Reduce Spend on Utilities
The main reason that many schools choose to invest in solar panels is to save money on energy bills. By generating their electricity, schools can reduce their dependence on the grid and avoid the fluctuating costs of traditional energy sources. Furthermore, electricity can be sold back to the grid if extra is produced.
Education Opportunities For Students
Incorporating solar energy into a site allows an opportunity for the technology to be added to the chosen curriculum. This means lessons can cover essential topics such as renewable energy, climate change, and other critical environmental issues.
This is important as the next generation needs to deeply understand how they can support our planet. Furthermore, seeing the technology in action will deepen a child’s perception of the content being taught, which is likely to result in better levels of educational experience that can also benefit a school in terms of strong exam performance.
Competitive Advantages and Improve School Reputation
Schools that harness solar technology will likely appeal to parents concerned with environmental sustainability. Demonstrating investment in carbon reduction can help to enhance the school’s reputation and therefore increase demand for places. Choosing solar solutions represents that the educational establishment cares about the environment and pupil experience, which may increase the likelihood of securing bursaries or local awards.
Reduce Carbon Footprint
Lastly, solar panels can help schools reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment. By using a renewable energy source, schools can significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and help mitigate the effects of climate change. This can benefit not only the school and its students, but also the broader community leading to further positive impacts for reputation.
Solar Solutions for All
While rooftop solar installations are often preferred, it sometimes happens that the school roof doesn’t have room for the panels, is the wrong orientation or simply can’t support their weight. In situations like this a solar canopy can be a great alternative. With the opportunity to locate it almost anywhere on campus, solar canopies can provide significant amounts of electricity for schools to use while also providing a useful dining canopy or playground shelter for students and staff to use.
Three Peaks Academy in Tamworth demonstrates this concept; the school decided to replace an existing playground shelter which was no longer fit for purpose with a new, much larger solar canopy. With over one hundred square metres of solar panels on the canopy alone, the school is set to save thousands on their energy bills, as well as approximately three tonnes of carbon each year, a significant step on their path to Net Zero.
Get in touch to find out how your school could benefit from a solar canopy today.
