Can anyone recommend a free solar provider for a school?

[Energetic]

Local primary school is considering free solar for the school. The don't have the funds to instal themselves and would be able to use pretty much everything it generates. Also no complications with re-morgaging/selling the property in the future. (unless the county decides to sell shools off to raise funds at some point in the future, which i guess is a possibility).

Possible complication is that the roofs were mostly redone recently and now supposedly carry a 50 year warranty! So any installer would either have to work with the roofer to maintain this or offer the equivalent.

Any good stories out there?

 

[Earthstore]

Procurement, you may find this a brick wall, a hurdle to high to jump...

I was involved in a project where we were going to give a PV system, fully installed to a local school, but the council could not have been more difficult if they had tried..
so you need to get approval from them first, may I wish you luck on that one...

 

[SolarRoofSols]

We have installed on a school before and it is a bit of a hassle getting to the correct person to sign the form, though our project was and RC school who owned the building which could have been easier. If the school building is managed by another body (i.e Kier) then you will need to go through them to get to the council person who can give the go ahead.

 

[SolarRoofSols]

Also EDF have opened applicationfs for green fund grands for schools and community projects - deadline is the end of the month and they wont fund projects in full, but if the school can do some fundraising then they could be onto a winner!

Green Fund

 

[TedM]

Also don't forget that schools can now pre-register with OFGEM and get a waiver for the EPC 'D' band requirement. They will still need an EPC but it doesn't matter what the band is and they will qualify for the high tariff. They won't be getting the money for a 'free' system but the company will want this.

 

[Energetic]

It's tricky one, the school have an attitude of 'its all too hard' maybe from the sort of experiences your referring to. There is some driven folk within the PTA that are pushing it, we have kids at the school so are happy to advise but no gain commercially for us.

Its a bit of a minefield and more or less completely outside our experience. Seems like the staff at the school are so concerned about accountability that they're not willing to deviate at all from the status quo... meanwhile the school is being left behind by those with better leadership and foresight...

 

[Powershandy]

Please contact [email protected] I have a solution for you.

 

[sedgy34]

Find an investor FB maybe?

 

[SRE]

Local primary school is considering free solar for the school. The don't have the funds to instal themselves and would be able to use pretty much everything it generates. Also no complications with re-morgaging/selling the property in the future. (unless the county decides to sell shools off to raise funds at some point in the future, which i guess is a possibility).

Possible complication is that the roofs were mostly redone recently and now supposedly carry a 50 year warranty! So any installer would either have to work with the roofer to maintain this or offer the equivalent.

Any good stories out there?

Where is it and what size system? I work with someone who regularly accesses funding for large projects, I may be able to put you in touch

 

[Energetic]

Cheers guys, after speaking with the school yesterday the problem is not so much the funding, there are quite a few free solar and funding options, the issue really is the 50 year warranty on the new roof, any company that does the work would have to match this. I doubt any one would and i wouldn't believe them if they said they would quite frankly.

The next biggest hurdle seems to be TPTB at the school and the county dont seem to want to have a system and/or dont see any value in having one.

In my ignorance of how the school system works (doesn't work) i assumed that getting a provider would be the biggest hurdle...

 

[TedM]

If the roof is an issue then why not go for a ground mount?

How can anyone not see the value in reducing their electricity bills?

 

[Energetic]

Crazy isn't it, they think it's too much hassle...

I am looking into ground options but i reckon there'll be some problem with that also...

 

[Earthstore]

It's a strange one really, these are the first places that should have PV, schools, hospitals, any Government or council offices, even without the FIT, just for the energy savings alone.

Which ever way you turn there is always someone that will throw an obstacle in the way, why?

In my first post, I said about procurement, and this may be your main stumbling block.
Unless the Head teacher, or who ever is in charge is really keen and will make it happen, I feel you will be wasting you time.

If you want to give it some more effort there is a school in Hook Norton (Oxfordshie) that has PV, it might be worth getting some reference from them, but take care as there is a Green energy group in that village that may try and muscle in.

Good luck.

 

[Vegelen]

Case Studies | The Green Electrician Group

Ask the Green Electrician to put you in contact with a number of the schools they've installed and go visit them. Networking with other schools head teachers about their experiences both good and bad will help another headteacher develop energy policy at their school more than a salesperson selling products.
Sometimes seeing the end product and asking customers that use it is invaluable, than buying remotely. They are a professional, efficient company that are involved with many aspects of energy saving technologies.
They have installed many large systems on schools, farms, industrial units, public buildings and on domestic properties.
They may be able to give you advice beyond solar pv as they have specialists in a number of energy saving technologies i.e heating, lighting etc.

Setting The Standards For Energy Efficiency In Education:

http://www.thegreenelectrician.co.uk/news/?article=31

The schools approximate location in the South West may help other readers of this forum contact you from schools nearby that have had similar work done, that may be open to helping you.

 

[Energetic]

It's a strange one really, these are the first places that should have PV, schools, hospitals, any Government or council offices, even without the FIT, just for the energy savings alone.

Which ever way you turn there is always someone that will throw an obstacle in the way, why?

In my first post, I said about procurement, and this may be your main stumbling block.
Unless the Head teacher, or who ever is in charge is really keen and will make it happen, I feel you will be wasting you time.

If you want to give it some more effort there is a school in Hook Norton (Oxfordshie) that has PV, it might be worth getting some reference from them, but take care as there is a Green energy group in that village that may try and muscle in.

Good luck.

You've hit the nail on the head (no pun intended) there is no head ATM, we have an acting head who seems to swamped by the day to day running of things. Knows nothing about solar, doesn't want to know, cares a great deal about the state of the shelves in the library though...