Great British Energy Solar Schools: Funding, Eligibility and the PPA Pilot Explained

Great British Energy — the publicly owned clean energy company — is funding rooftop solar panels on schools across England at scale. The Department for Education announced on 16 July 2026 that the Great British Energy Solar Partnership will invest up to £255 million in total in solar and complementary technologies on schools, colleges, NHS sites and military sites.

For schools, the headline is simple: solar is moving from a decision about capital budgets to a decision about roofs, tariffs and timing. This guide explains how the scheme works, who is covered, what the savings evidence says, and — importantly for schools that miss a funding window — how the same outcome can be achieved without a grant.

The scheme in numbers (October 2026)

Sources: GOV.UK, 16 July 2026 and the Great British Energy site. Figures are updated as waves are announced — this page is reviewed each time the scheme moves.

What the funding waves cover

Grant-funded wave — 245 schools fitted, 100 more joining

Around 245 schools and colleges already have government-funded panels, with roughly a hundred installations completed from the first tranche. The new wave adds 100 further schools and colleges, backed by up to £40 million of capital funding. Where a school receives a grant, the panels are owned by the school and the savings stay with the school budget.

The 150-school PPA pilot — private finance at no upfront cost

The most significant development for schools without a grant is the pilot involving 150 schools and colleges in Yorkshire and Humber, the East Midlands and the South East. In it, private investors fund, install, own and maintain the panels after quality checks. The school buys the electricity generated at a rate significantly cheaper than its normal tariff, with no upfront cost to the school, the college or government. This is a power purchase agreement (PPA) — the same model UEC Energy delivers through the RECfA programme. The Department for Education expects schools to be able to access privately funded solar through the pilot from 2027, with a national rollout planned from 2027 to 2028 and the ambition that every school and college in England will eventually be able to access solar.

How much can a school actually save?

The published estimates give school leaders a defensible planning basis:

• Secondary schools with solar plus LED lighting: estimated savings of around £58,600 a year.
• Primary schools: around £21,000 a year on the same basis.
• First wave overall: around 250 schools and colleges saving an estimated £220 million combined over the lifetime of the panels.
• Worked example: LIFT Feversham School in Yorkshire reported saving around £23,000 on energy bills in its first year from solar alongside other efficiency measures.

Actual savings depend on roof area, orientation, consumption patterns, tariffs and whether complementary measures such as LED lighting are included. A site-specific feasibility study — not a national average — is the right basis for a budget decision.

Eligibility and how schools take part

The scheme covers state schools and colleges in England, including academies and maintained schools. Funding is administered through delivery partners rather than a school-facing application portal, and interest can be registered through Great British Energy's Express your interest route. In practice, a school's readiness is assessed on:

• Roof condition and structure — panels need a roof that will last their 20-25 year life; roofs near replacement are usually sequenced first.
• Electrical capacity and DNO connection — export limits and grid applications are checked early because they drive timeline and design.
• Consumption profile — daytime demand matching solar output is what makes the economics work; schools are naturally strong candidates.
• Governance and evidence — quotes, condition surveys and (in some routes) Salix-administered checks form part of the paper trail — see our Salix guide.

Because waves are announced periodically and capacity is finite, the practical advice is to register interest and prepare the underlying evidence — half-hourly consumption data, roof condition and electrical single-line diagrams — so the school can move as soon as a window opens.

If the grant route is closed — the PPA route is open now

The grant waves are limited, and a national rollout is still being phased in through 2027-28. A school that does not want to wait does not have to. Under a solar PPA, a funding partner installs, owns, insures and maintains the system at zero capital cost to the school; the school buys the electricity generated on site at a single price per kWh, fixed for 15 years and not linked to inflation. The school keeps its budget intact, avoids borrowing and lease-accounting complexity, and gains price certainty while grid tariffs rise.

This is precisely the model the government is piloting with 150 schools — and it is available independently today. UEC Energy delivers it as technical lead and operations partner for RECfA (the Renewable Energy Coalition for Academia), working with DfE and DESNZ on clean energy for the education estate. Our whole-site energy capability statement for schools covers solar PV and battery under a 15-year fixed-price PPA, EV charging and solar car ports, low-E window insulation coating, and — under the new P441 settlement rules — earning income from surplus solar through the SENfA trading platform.

UEC Energy is an independent consultancy and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Great British Energy. Where a school is eligible for a grant wave, we will say so — a grant is usually the better first option. The PPA route exists for schools that are not covered, or that want to move before the rollout reaches them.

What school leaders should do now

1. Register interest in the Great British Energy scheme and note that waves are periodic — being evidence-ready matters more than being first in a queue.
2. Prepare the evidence pack: half-hourly electricity data, roof condition reports, electrical capacity information and previous energy audits (ESOS or TM44 reports help).
3. Model both routes: grant-funded ownership versus a 15-year fixed-price PPA. The right answer differs by roof, budget and risk appetite.
4. Think beyond panels: battery storage shifts cheap solar into the evening; EV charging and car ports add capability and income; P441/SENfA will let schools sell surplus locally once settlement rules land.

Sources: GOV.UK — Hundreds more schools to save on bills (16 July 2026); Great British Energy project updates (2025-2026). Scheme figures last checked 2 October 2026.

Can a school apply to Great British Energy directly?

Not through a single open portal. Funding is channelled through delivery partners and periodic waves, and schools register interest via the Express your interest route. Preparing consumption data, roof evidence and capacity information in advance is what makes a school ready when a wave opens.

Does the school own the panels under a PPA?

No — the funder owns and maintains them for the term, and the school buys the cheaper on-site electricity. UEC Energy's PPA includes an asset transfer option at year 15, after which the school receives free power for the remaining panel life.

Is solar viable if our roof is old or the school is listed?

Often, yes, but the design changes. Where roofs are constrained, solar car ports can carry the PV instead, and low-E window insulation coating addresses heat loss and overheating without touching the building fabric. A feasibility survey will confirm which measures pay back first.