LOW CARBON SOLUTIONS


Powering schools – and solar careers: a missed opportunity?


Mark Krull, director of LCL Awards, explores how the school solar rollout could be both an energy and skills investment


T


he Government’s Solar Roadmap aims to treble UK solar capacity to roughly 45–47GW by 2030, explicitly calling for rooftop deployments on public buildings - including a Great British Energy (GBE) programme to


fit roughly 200 schools (and 200 NHS sites) as an early priority.


Schools must go green


The ‘rooftop revolution’ aims to help schools lower bills, reduce carbon emissions and improve energy resilience - essential steps to reach net-zero targets. If treated too narrowly as an asset-only programme, it risks missing a larger social dividend. Schools can do more than host panels: they can become hubs of renewable learning with measurable savings and real community impact. With a looming skills shortfall across the


renewables sector, the education estate has a unique opportunity to double up: powering buildings sustainably while helping to build the green skills pipeline.


Fix the estate, cut the bills


The roadmap is a welcome step, particularly in-light of the woeful state of many educational establishments: the National Audit Office (NAO) reports that public service buildings face an estimated £49 billion maintenance back log, of which £13.8 billion relates to schools. Many buildings are past their intended life span with deteriorating roofs, temporary classrooms and outdated facilities, resulting in depleted school budgets and a direct impact on learning environments. The first 11 schools fitted under the GBE


programme are already saving a combined £175,000 a year, while also demonstrating curriculum and community value. Those much-needed savings can be reinvested into the teaching and learning environments, but installing panels can do more than ease budgets; it can make solar and the opportunities presented by the building services engineering sector tangible for the next generation.


Opportunity to inspire


Schools play a vital role in shaping career aspirations. By making renewable energy visible and relatable - through building-integrated


technology, monitoring dashboards, or even supervised involvement in upgrades - pupils can be inspired to explore science, engineering and technical pathways. Collaboration between schools, local colleges, training providers and industry could help inspire young people into a career in renewables. Vocational qualifications, apprenticeships and specialist training in solar PV and electrical energy storage already exist; linking these to real-world projects in schools could really bring them to life. Typical school solar installations generate tens of thousands of kWh each year, cutting bills by thousands of pounds. But the benefits go further than cost savings. At Ark Victoria and Ark Kings Academies, more than 2,000 pupils have been involved in workshops, assemblies and STEM activities, using dashboards, drones and site visits to connect green technology with real career pathways, while fostering a deeper understanding of energy management and sustainability.


Building the green workforce


The Roadmap places clear emphasis on workforce scale-up: meeting the 2030 ambition requires more installers, designers and operations staff, alongside a refreshed pipeline of entrants into the sector. By linking rollout with engagement and training, schools could play a pivotal role in preparing young people for careers in the low-carbon economy.


From 1 September 2025 updated entry requirements came into force for solar PV and Electrical Energy Storage Systems (EESS) specialist qualifications. Approved centres and the EAS Qualifications Guide set out acceptable pre- requisites: a current Level 3 award in the Requirements for Electrical Installations (BS 7671) plus a recognised Level 3 electrotechnical NVQ/apprenticeship (or equivalent), or evidence such as an ECS Gold Card where applicable.


Training hubs such as The Energy Training Academy’s Net Zero Home and MidKent College’s Green Centre already show what is possible. These LCL Awards approved centres combine demonstration assets, practical training and employer engagement - a practical template for bringing school-based learning and local training provision together. If the Solar Roadmap’s school deployments


are packaged with similar hands-on learning opportunities, I see a clear vision for the programme to not only decarbonise buildings but broaden access and inspire interest in green careers.


Wider community


Local authorities are also taking a long-term view. Herefordshire’s approvals for borough- wide school PV and Rochdale’s ‘Go Neutral’ schools guidance show how coherent governance and financing make projects viable - and how councils can reinvest revenue into education priorities. These are not marginal projects - they are, in


aggregate, a meaningful way to reduce public energy spend and emissions while providing visible technology for pupils to engage with.


A bright vision


The Solar Roadmap is a rare alignment of policy, funding and market momentum, rightly focused on decarbonising and reducing costs across the public estate. But if schools are treated simply as passive sites for installation, I see a wider opportunity being missed: using installations as live teaching tools and recruitment funnels into a sector facing demographic pressures and rapid demand growth. We must take a broader view - one that


recognises the role of schools as both places of learning and community hubs - solar rollouts should be about more than kilowatts, they can help inspire a new generation of green skills workers, ready to deliver the renewable technology needed.


20 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2025 Read the latest at: www.bsee.co.uk


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