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Schools

Solar Panels for Schools and Academies

As electricity prices surge and energy costs continue to climb, UK schools are facing heightened operational expenses, directly impacting educational funding. Schools, with their spacious rooftops, are uniquely positioned to utilise solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, leading to considerable reductions in electricity bills, improvements to your carbon footprint and ultimately the ability to use renewable energy throughout classrooms.

By installing solar panels (which generates entirely emission-free renewable energy), schools can demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability for students, parents/guardians, governors and local authorities, where this could make your school stand out in already difficult education sector.

 

School Solar Panel Installers

Solar Voltaics was established in 2010 and has developed an excellent reputation as a leading solar installation company operating within the education sector, especially for schools and academies. We specialise solely in solar power, so whether you’re wanting to install solar panels and PV systems, solar battery storage systems or advice on how a solar power system can benefit your school, our team can help.

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Why Choose Solar Voltaics?

  • Quality Products
  • Expertise in Solar Solutions
  • Solar and Battery Installs
  • Save on Carbon Emissions
  • Outstanding Customer Service
  • Bespoke Solutions

Solar Panel Installation for Schools

At Solar Voltaics, we are committed to educating both teachers and pupils about the benefits and installation process of solar PV technology, tailored to meet their specific needs and what it offers – we also provide a competitive Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for schools looking at different finance options. Boasting over ten years in the solar industry, Solar Voltaics have been trusted by schools up and down the UK to supply solar PV panels that are cost-effective allowing you to budget extra funds for curricular resources or facilities.

Our vast expertise, experience and resources enable us to efficiently manage complex projects, ensuring their completion on time and in accordance with industry standards. Alongside our proactive Health and Safety policy and comprehensive safety measures, we protect teachers, pupils, parents and guardians, proudly maintaining a faultless safety record with zero incidents.

Solar Power Purchase Agreement Programmes (PPAs) provide an attractive option for schools looking to install solar panels and reduce their carbon footprint. By partnering with solar project developers, schools and academies can access the benefits of solar energy without the upfront costs.

If you are looking for solar PPA, solar finance information or government schemes for systems over 200KW in size, get in touch with one of our team who will be able to help guide you through the process.

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Whitley Park School Reading, Berkshire

Installing Solar Panels For Schools Across The UK

Whether you’re wanting a straightforward installation on a smaller primary school with limited roof space, or are a larger secondary school that are wanting to generate electricity and a renewable energy source themselves, Solar Voltaics has the technical expertise and resources to deliver complex projects on time and to a very high standard. For schools looking to install high quality solar panels, you can expect to cut energy costs, support your local community by reducing emitted greenhouse gases, help educate students on the benefits solar panels offer to the planet and ultimately a smart investment for the future.

Our capabilities include all types of pitched roof mounted solar panels, flat roof solar panel installations and ground mounted solar for those with room in their school grounds. We have extensive experience in the installation of all major inverter brands and specialise in SolarEdge DC optimiser solutions.

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Handcross Primary School SolarEdge system

286KW Solar installed for West Sussex schools using SolarEdge technology

By Solar Voltaics

Solar Voltaics continues to install some of the most sophisticated solar energy systems for West Sussex County Council. Systems have been installed at London Meed School in Burgess Hill, Handcross Primary School, The Brook School in Crawley and Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee School in Horsham. The technical requirements for this group of schools were

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Accreditations & Partnerships

How Solar PV Panels Can Help Schools

With The Carbon Trust estimating that UK schools could reduce their energy costs by around £44 million per year; offsetting 625,000 tons of CO2 per annum, schools installing solar panels presents a great opportunity for exactly that. But what are the other benefits that a solar panel system can give a school?

PPA for Schools

Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) have quickly gained traction as a favoured financing avenue for solar panel projects in schools and academies.

By meeting designated criteria related to your energy demand and rooftop capacity, most schools can benefit from a no upfront-cost solar PV installation – solar panel grants may also be available through various government schemes too.

Educating Pupils

Teachers can integrate solar power education into many aspects of the curriculum, where they can educate students about climate change through different subjects.

Maths in where solar output datasets can be used for teaching statistics in a tangible way, Geography and the variability of the solar energy resource worldwide, Physics by how solar panels work and the conversion of energy between different forms.

Renewable Energy

Solar energy is a clean, greener energy source that produces no greenhouse gases, making it an environmentally friendly choice.

Solar panels can also provide energy independence and resilience during power outages or other emergencies, which not many schools can say they have!

 

Our Solar Panel Installation Process

We’ve been trusted for school solar panel installations in the UK since 2010 and in that time, our team have developed industry-leading knowledge and experience what makes a solar project successful. Unlike one-size-fits-all approaches, we design solar systems tailored to each school’s specific energy needs and layout. This bespoke service ensures cost savings, clean energy solutions, and customer satisfaction, setting us apart from other solar panel installation companies working in the education industry.

1.

Feasibility

A site survey will determine the suitability of your building for solar PV systems

2.

Proposal

We present the most efficient system design and output to match your energy needs

3.

Review

At this stage, our team can answer your questions and review options with you

4.

Contract

Our simple agreement policy, safeguards your quote if anything changes

5.

Install

Solar panel installation takes place with minimal disruption to your daily activities

6.

Maintain

We can monitor and maintain your solar PV system to maximise performance

Contact Us For The Next Steps

enquiries@solar-voltaics.com
023 9200 6161

Solar Products

Explore our range of solar products, carefully sourced from reliable manufacturers and fully certified to MCS standards, ensuring optimal performance and reliability. From advanced solar panels that harness sunlight, to cutting-edge battery storage systems, we provide practical solutions that lower costs and promote sustainability.

Our Solar Products

Solar Panel Maintenance

Solar PV systems are very reliable, but planned solar maintenance is essential to ensure continued high output efficiency. Many solar systems in the UK have been installed for several years now, some for over 5 years. Whilst most maybe running well, many owners don’t check their systems performance regularly and wouldn’t know if it was performing well or not.

Our Maintenance Plans

Frequently Asked Questions

How do solar PV cells work?

Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert radiation from the sun into electricity.  A typical PV cell consists of a wafer of semi-conducting material, usually silicon, manufactured with two electrically different layers.  When sunlight hits the cell it excites the electrons within the silicon, creating an electric field across the layers and causing a flow of electricity.

How much electricity do solar PV systems generate?

An optimally orientated, un-shaded 1kWp array will, each year, generate approx 850kWh (units) of electricity.

Can school's continue to operate during a solar panel installation?

Yes, in most cases installing solar panels will not affect your school operating as normal. For obvious reason, we do advise that schools, academies and other educational institutes install their solar PV system outside of term times if possible.

Can schools get a grant for solar panels?

Schools in the UK can apply for government grants and incentives to help fund the installation of free solar panels. These schemes provide interest-free loans to public sector organisations for energy efficiency projects, including solar panel installations. By installing solar panels, schools can benefit from reduced energy bills and potential revenue from excess energy produced.

Where can I place my solar PV panels?

Solar panels can be mounted in a range of locations, from a roof to the ground and even bespoke frames. We install on a range of roof types, including flat roofs. Ground mounted systems use ballast or specially designed mounting frames. Solar panels are best if they are south facing, but east and west facing roofs are are suitable, although output will be slightly less. A roof pitch of between 10 and 50 degrees is best and preferably with little or no shade. If shade cannot be avoided then we can include optimisers to reduce the shading impact.

What size do solar PV panels come in?

PV systems are modular, allowing a great degree of flexibility in design and specification. The physical size of individual panels varies. Smaller output panels tend to be smaller in size and the very high output panels are much larger. The size of an array is determined by the available roof space and energy requirement of the property. We work with our customers to ensure that we provide a system that meets their requirements and available roof space.

How long do solar panels last?

Commercial solar panels typically have a lifespan of 25-30 years. They continue to generate electricity beyond this period but at reduced efficiency.

What Your School Can Expect

Payback and Returns

A school solar installation can offer a typical investment payback from 3 years onwards. The payback period depends on site electricity consumption and the retail price of electricity both now and anticipated in the future. If you provide us with a good estimate of your electricity usage and costs, then we can overlay this with the expected output of the solar PV system to determine how much of the solar energy you are likely to use. It is the combination of energy consumption profile and solar PV output that determines how useful a solar energy system will be to your school.

PV systems require little maintenance besides regular monitoring and replacement of inverters (5-10 years). In general, PV panels are self-cleaning unless your building is in an area that suffers from high dust levels, leaf fall etc.

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Our School Solar Panel Projects

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Why Choose Solar Voltaics?

CHAS (Construction Health and Safety) & Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS)

Solar Voltaics is accredited under the CHAS (Construction Health and Safety) scheme. We are experienced in working on construction sites and operating to strict safety standards.

All installations are carried out to the standards laid down by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). We are regularly audited by NAPIT to confirm that our workmanship standards are up to the required quality levels.

Our Quality Assurance

No Sub-Contracting

At Solar Voltaics we prefer not to sub-contract to other companies. We stand by the quality and professionalism of our installations, because we manage them all with our own professionally trained staff.

Recommendations

We are more than happy to put you in touch with previous clients who can vouch for how we performed for them. Our solar PV experts understand that this is good commercial practice and we have plenty of clients that we can refer you to, including public sector, private companies and institutions in the UK.

Get in Touch With a Local Installer

Call now to learn how little it takes to get started, and how much you can save when your school solar panel installation is in place.

We don’t do a hard sell. You can have as much or as little information as you like and we won’t hassle you with unwanted follow-up sales calls. Most of our commercial clients want to do their own research and due diligence and we will gladly supply any information you require regarding our trustworthiness and commercial standing.

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Email or Phone us on:

enquiries@solar-voltaics.com
023 9200 6161


Address

Solar Voltaics Ltd
Bramley Barn, Main Road
Chichester
West Sussex
PO18 8XA

Our Testimonials

View Our Google Reviews

    • I am not technically minded, but I felt excitement and joy when my solar system was commissioned, my battery was not only supplying the house but feeding to the grid within hours, the team were lovely to have on site and meticulous in their work, and solar Voltaics did all the authorisation paperwork for me – the usual headaches for the uninitiated. What a complete pleasure to work with this company!

      Victoria

    • Lead up to installation was faultless and professional. The installation took place as agreed over two days and was carried out without any problems. We were impressed with the attention to detail with both the installation of the solar panels and the battery and inverter. The handover instructions were comprehensive and we know that Solar Voltaics are available should we require further assistance. The system is working well and we look forward to reducing our energy costs. Once we have a smart meter installed we will also benefit from all the excess electricity generated. In short a professional Five Star service and product from start to finish.

      Mike

    • Very happy with the system now. It takes a little while to get to grips with the technology but the customer support was very good post installation. The installation itself was non-intrusive and the team are professional. We put in a battery and EV charger as well and all seamless.

      Rhod

    • Excellent installation and service from Solar Voltaics. From quotation to completion, we were very impressed with the standard of work and communication. Would thoroughly recommend to anyone considering solar panels with battery storage.

      Simon

    • Solar Voltaics stood by me even when I changed my mind and bought another house requiring a new set of figures to be produced. They arranged the scaffolding in good time and arrived promptly when they said they would. On completion, their staff stayed behind explaining all the features of the Givenergy app and what it will do for me. They left the house clean and tidy each evening taking away any waste materials and packaging. Not sure I could ask for anymore and would be delighted to recommend Solar Voltaics to a friend.

      Pete

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