Solar for Schools joins Leeds City Council to deliver solar panels to 12 primary schools in £25.3 million worth of green upgrades across the City (Mar 17, 2021)
Leeds City Council has secured £25.3 million to decarbonise 38 publicly owned buildings, slashing the city’s carbon emissions by nearly 4,000 tonnes. Solar for Schools is partnering with Leeds to ensure that solar power is delivered to the 12 primary schools.
The 12 primary schools, which were selected by the Council for the project, will be part of a programme that will help Leeds achieve a range of low carbon heat and energy upgrades. The solar on the schools is part of package that includes air source heat pumps, new connections to the district heating network, LED lighting, and double glazing.
Leeds City Council has a bold ambition to reduce Leeds’ direct emissions to net-zero by 2030 and halve the authority’s own carbon footprint by the middle of this decade. By reducing the council’s energy usage the measures will save 3,951 tonnes of carbon and save money for vital frontline services.
After identifying a number of ‘shovel ready’ green projects in 2020 with its partners, Leeds successfully bid for the funding as part of the ‘Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme’ from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
The schools will benefit from innovative heating technologies such as heat pumps—which extract low carbon warmth from the air or ground. This will reduce reliance on the use of gas boilers which, in addition to saving energy and carbon emissions, will also help to improve local air quality. Electrification of heating will be offset by reducing demand for electricity with LED lightlng and helping schools meet the increased demand for electricity with solar generated electricity.
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Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council said: “We’re delighted to have been allocated more than £25 million from the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
“Upgrading dozens of schools and council buildings to be fit for the future mean that we’ll be able to spend less on fossil fuel energy, and more on protecting vital frontline services.
Shannon Jackson, Head of Solar for Schools UK projects for Leeds, said: “Schools across Leeds have shown that they want to be part of the change happening across our society. We are very excited to be working alongside Leeds City Council to deliver this ambitious programme. Solar power and clean energy sit at the heart of the climate and social justice mission for the next generation, while saving money on basic essentials like electricity, will help meet essential needs today in terms of the Council’s plan to support communities and services coming out of Covid19. I am beyond happy to be supporting that work, and as a citizen of this city: my fellow people in Leeds."