Home Farm Primary School
200 solar panels on a primary school roof in Colchester, fitted with no upfront cost to the school. The school went on to win an Ashden award in 2015.
The brief
Home Farm Primary School in Colchester wanted to cut its electricity bills and its carbon footprint, without finding the capital for a solar installation.
The solution
We fitted 200 solar panels across the school roof under an operating lease. The school paid nothing upfront and leased the equipment over seven years, after which it takes full ownership of the system and keeps all of the savings.
The result
The system generates around 44,000 kWh a year, roughly 40% of the 110,000 kWh the school uses. The school uses all of the power it generates, so every unit comes straight off its bill. It also earned Feed-in Tariff payments on the electricity it produced.
In 2015 the school was named an Ashden award winner for its work on energy, which included the 200 solar panels on its roof alongside an active pupil Eco Committee and a new building management system.
“The school is using 100 per cent of the power generated from the outset, allowing it to make significant savings on its electricity bill. The school is also playing their part in combating climate change by reducing their carbon footprint.”
C Stammers, Business Manager, Home Farm Primary School
The photo is illustrative and does not show Home Farm Primary School. Photo: Jaggery, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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