CAMPAIGN Electrical skills
Sunshine power needs sparks’ skills
Solar future at risk
A new scheme aiming to cut bills for hospitals and schools, by installing rooftop solar panels has been welcomed by Unite, but the union also highlighted the need to train up more skilled electricians.
In March, the government announced that Great British Energy’s first project will be to install rooftop solar panels on 200 schools and 200 hospitals, while in May it announced that all new housing built from 2027 must have solar panels fitted.
A recent report by the Local Government Association highlights that, “Requiring new builds to have solar power would decrease carbon and costs for households, with an estimated saving of £440 per year.”
The government said they plan to use the Future Homes Standard to install “solar panels on as many new homes as possible, because they are a vital technology to help cut bills for families, boost our national energy security, and help deliver net zero.”
The public buildings scheme offers the potential to sell leftover energy back to the grid, with the first panels expected to be in schools and hospitals by the end of Autumn 2025, saving schools money for the next academic year.
It is estimated that a typical school could, on average, save up to £25,000 per year, while the average NHS site could save up to £45,000 per year
on their annual energy bills if they had solar panels with complementary technologies installed.
Stew Horne, Head of Policy at Energy Saving Trust said, “Using public buildings is an effective way to rapidly roll out solar, contributing to the clean power mission and the 8 GW local power plan target.
“Reinvesting savings from cheap, local power into public services will also demonstrate that communities can feel tangible benefits from the shift to renewables. The focus on installing solar panels in disadvantaged areas is welcome to support a fairer energy transition, in which everyone can benefit.”
The government says the support will target schools and hospitals with buildings that are suitable for solar panels in areas of England most in need. Each cluster will include a further education college which will work with the appointed contractors to promote careers in renewables and support growth in the construction and renewables workforces.
This element of the scheme will be vital. It’s estimated that 100,000 electricians will be needed over the next seven years to deliver on building and net zero pledges, and Unite has long campaigned for increased investment in construction skills and to recruit more young people to pursue a career in the trades.
22 unite buildingWORKER Autumn 2025
Unite national officer for construction, Jason Poulter, said, “The news that the government is investing in rooftop solar on public buildings and encouraging its installation in new housing should be welcomed. This will save money and generate cheap electricity for schools and the NHS and is good news.”
“But to install these renewable energy systems requires skilled electricians, something the country is in desperately short supply of currently. Competent qualified electricians are key for the construction, retrofit, repair and maintenance of infrastructure, industry, commerce, housing, clean heat, and sustainable energy across the total construction and built environment process.
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Developing a competent electrical engineering and contracting workforce in sufficient numbers is essential to meet the UK’s requirements for economic growth, energy security, protection of the environment, and public safety
Jason Poulter, Unite national secretary
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Alamy
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