Shifnal and Harmer Hill schools install solar panels in £2m savings pilot
Two Shropshire schools – Lamledge in Shifnal and Smallbrook in Harmer Hill – have installed rooftop solar panels this summer as part of a pilot scheme that could save nearly £2m across four schools over 25 years.
The pilot, delivered with consultancy partner Two Blues Solar, is designed to reduce carbon emissions and stabilise long-term energy costs for Outcomes First Group, which runs nearly 100 schools nationwide.
At Lamledge, the system is expected to meet up to 28% of the school’s annual energy demand. Battery storage has also been added, allowing power generated outside teaching hours to be used later and cutting reliance on the grid. Smallbrook School is expected to gain up to 23% of its energy from solar.
In total, the four pilot sites – two in Shropshire, one in Worcestershire and one in Norfolk – have a combined capacity of 298 kilowatt-peak and are forecast to generate 273,000 kilowatt-hours each year. The programme is projected to save almost £2m over 25 years while cutting annual carbon emissions by 61 tonnes.
Two Blues Solar typically funds and delivers solar projects itself. In this case, Outcomes First Group opted to self-fund and appointed the company to manage feasibility, contractor procurement and project delivery across the four sites.
Rachel Stark, commercial director at Two Blues Solar, said: “Schools face the challenge of delivering major works within short holiday windows. We worked with Outcomes First Group to complete the installations in time for the new academic year, on budget and with minimal disruption.”
Astrid D’Amelio, head of sustainability at Outcomes First Group, said the project was part of a wider plan to reduce the environmental impact of its schools.
