30 June 2026
Switching a school to renewable energy is an achievable goal. It takes planning, it takes budget, and it won't happen in a term. But schools across the UK are doing it, and the case for getting started has never been stronger.
Energy is one of the biggest costs a school carries outside of staffing. UK schools spend more than £630 million a year on energy, according to the Department for Education. For most school business managers, it's a line in the budget that's hard to predict and can feel hard to control, especially when energy contracts come up for renewal.
Renewable energy can help . And the good news is that there's no single right answer and no single starting point when it comes to making the switch. This blog walks through the options, from small changes that cost very little to bigger investments worth planning for.
Before spending anything on power generation, it's worth understanding where energy is being used. A proper energy audit often turns up more than expected: heating running outside school hours, lighting left on in empty rooms, equipment on standby overnight. LED upgrades and smart thermostats can cut consumption meaningfully without the cost or complexity of bigger projects.
These smaller steps matter beyond the savings they deliver. A school that has already reduced its baseline energy usage will get more from any generation technology it adds later, and will have stronger numbers to present to governors or the local authority when making the case for further investment.
Only around 20% of UK schools currently have solar panels installed. Given that most schools offer large roof space, good daytime energy demand and relatively predictable usage patterns, that's lower than you might expect.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) costs have fallen significantly over the past decade. A typical primary school installing a 50kW system can expect to generate around 37,000 kWh of electricity a year. That reduces what the school draws from the grid during the day, which is where the financial case is made.
Battery storage is worth considering alongside solar. It lets the school hold onto surplus energy generated during the day and draw on it during higher-tariff evening hours, improving the return on the overall system.
Some schools with solar also benefit from the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), which allows eligible generators to sell surplus electricity back to the grid. It won't cover the cost of an installation on its own, but it provides a useful income stream where generation consistently exceeds on-site demand.
For schools planning maintenance or significant building work, heat pumps offer a practical opportunity to replace ageing gas heating with a lower carbon alternative. It doesn't have to be a standalone project either. Marshland Primary Academy in Doncaster replaced its gas boilers with ground source heat pumps as part of a wider refurbishment, cutting heating-related CO₂ emissions by 77%. Tying that kind of upgrade into planned maintenance work is usually the most practical and cost-effective route.
Small wind turbines, micro-hydropower and geothermal systems are genuine options too, but they suit a narrow set of schools: well-resourced, in the right location, with the appetite for a more complex procurement process. For most schools, these sit further down the road rather than on the immediate to-do list.
Budget is the biggest factor shaping the pace of change for most schools. Capital investment in renewable technology competes with staffing, maintenance and everything else, and the approval process typically involves governors, the business manager, the local authority and sometimes the Department for Education depending on the school's setup.
Several schemes have been set up specifically to help schools with the costs. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) has funded renewable installations across a number of schools, and Great British Energy has committed £80 million to install rooftop solar in around 200 schools to support solar installations in schools and hospitals. Eligibility and availability change, so it's worth checking the current position with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero directly.
Some schools have also worked with community energy organisations or local businesses to share costs or access funding routes not available to schools directly. The financial case is strongest when it's presented in full: energy cost management over the life of the installation, potential SEG income, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and a concrete contribution to the school's sustainability commitments.
Any significant change to a school's energy setup needs buy-in from a wide group of people, each with different priorities. Governors need a credible business case. The local authority may have its own requirements. Parents and the wider community will have questions about cost and disruption.
Schools that handle this well tend to communicate early and honestly, setting out what's involved, what it costs and what the expected benefits are. Involving students directly, through curriculum links, energy monitoring projects or student council discussions, builds genuine engagement and gives the school a stronger story to tell.
Progress on renewable energy in schools tends to be incremental, and that's fine. A lighting upgrade one year, solar panels in the next capital cycle, a heat pump when the boiler eventually needs replacing. Every step in the right direction counts, and schools that start small often find themselves ready for bigger changes sooner than expected.
SEFE Energy works with schools and education organisations across the UK, providing gas and electricity supply alongside contract options and energy data to support planning and procurement. To find out more, visit our education sector page.