Big boost for solar PV as we’re making more energy from the sun

Public sector continues to tap into funds to boost clean energy source

Hundreds of public buildings across England have installed energy-saving solar panels thanks to a pioneering Government decarbonisation scheme.

Schools, hospitals, libraries, town halls and more can boast an array of solar PV panels helping to power their sites, thanks to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

The scheme, delivered by Salix, was launched in 2020 aimed at supporting the UK’s efforts to reach net zero by 2050.

Salix director of public sector decarbonisation Ian Rodger said: “It’s inspiring to see that schools, hospitals, universities and other sites can make great strides towards net zero and cutting carbon emissions, thanks to this scheme.

“Solar energy has been used for generations, it’s not new and today we have solar power feeding into many areas of our lives.

“The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme has made it so much more accessible across many of the buildings we use every day.”

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and since it was launched there have been multiple rounds.

Over the six phases, there has been £277m spent on solar PV for 562 projects. 

These will produce 188,681,638 kWh’s of annual energy savings, and £30m of financial savings.

Public sector organisations have applied for the funds through Salix. Salix, as a government delivery partner, assesses applications and once awarded, works with organisations throughout their project delivery journey.

Ian added: “We’re proud to deliver the scheme and work closely with teams across the country to work out how best to access their energy ensuring it is better for the people who use it, and better for the planet. The solar work is fundamental to this.”

Solar power is a renewable and infinite energy source that creates no harmful greenhouse gas emissions. As the sun shines, energy is released.

The carbon footprint of solar panels is also small; they can last for more than 25 years, and the materials used in the panels are increasingly recycled. This means the carbon footprint will continue to shrink.

Oxford City Council successfully received funding under Phase 1 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, this included a not-for-profit solar farm.

The council invested in using Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding into the farm which is connected to the grid.

Carbon Reduction Project Manager Alice Jones from Oxford City Council said: “We are thrilled that we have been able to access Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funds, which have helped not only make a difference to our own buildings but allowed us to invest in a project which will deliver an enormous amount of community benefit in its lifetime. 

“It’s a win-win scenario.”

How it’s worked

Phase 1 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme saw £1bn of grant funding awarded to applicants and £147m of that was allocated to solar PV installations. 

Local authorities had the highest number of projects, totalling 158, with an average cost of £625,629 per project. This meant they could install solar on schools, libraries, leisure centres and other public buildings.

In Phase 2 of the scheme, which had £75m to award for energy efficiency measures, the NHS had the largest costs, with an average solar PV project cost of £2m. 

In Public Sector Phase 3a round which received £613m in funding, 100 projects had solar PV. In this phase local authorities had the highest number of projects, including many schools. 

Cambridgeshire County Council funded solar PV across six schools with funding totalling £186,655. The NHS had the greatest overall project costs of £15m with the highest average cost of solar PV per project at £1m. 

For Phase 3b of the scheme, 97 projects installed solar PV, with local authorities being the sector with the most solar projects. A total of £38m was spent. Across all sectors, the average cost of solar PV per project was £391,860 for this phase, with NHS having the highest average cost at £965,729 per project.

In Phase 3c of the scheme, 110 solar projects were given funding. Local authorities had the highest number of projects that included solar PV with the NHS having the greatest project costs. Medway NHS Foundation Trust attributed £5m in solar PV costs.

The latest round, which is Phase 4, the number of projects installing solar PV is currently at 16, with local authorities continuing to implement this measure the most. 

Assistant director of energy, carbon and technical at Salix Davide Natuzzi said: “It’s clear that tremendous progress has been made.

“However, it’s important to consider a number of factors. The funding value has not been consistent, so it is difficult to monitor fluid progress and when the funding dips slightly that is reflected in the financial savings being made by the public sector organisations.

“We also changed the scheme over the years, so for example in Phase 4 applicants were asked to prioritise measures that provided the highest direct carbon savings. 

“This means that solar was not seen as a priority in their applications – so we saw less of it. If it did not support the organisations grant carbon cost, it would have been taken out of their application.

“Of course, the very first phase saw less scheme requirements, so we saw the greatest energy and financial savings from that phase and more solar being installed.

“We have certainly got a long journey ahead of us, and we are learning all of the time. It’s inspiring to work alongside committed teams within government and across the public sector tackling our energy issues.

“It is clear that we must come together to tackle our climate issues, and it is through constantly looking at new technologies and advancement on solar that we can move forward together.”