The county council has been running the interest free loan scheme since July 2023 to help maintained schools reduce their overall energy usage, which in turn could help cut operational costs.

The school applied to the council for £22,000, out of an £800,000 fund, to finance the  installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, designed to convert sunlight into electrical energy.

Councillor John Howson, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services, said: “We’ve already carried out 50 energy efficiency audits on our council maintained schools. The latest round of the loan scheme was launched earlier this year, with Whitchurch Primary School being one of the first to make use of the fund.”

The school hopes to install the photovoltaic (PV) technology during the summer break in readiness for the new term in September.

Fiona Broadbent, School Business Manager at Whitchurch Primary, said:

"We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and have already made the switch to LED lighting, so installing solar PV panels was the next step to take to both reduce our carbon footprint and make financial savings for the school."

Dawn Chesters, Headteacher, said: We are looking forward to using this installation as an educational tool; to help the children understand about their carbon footprint and practical steps they can take to create a positive impact. We believe that nurturing an understanding of sustainability from a young age is essential for shaping responsible global citizens."

Other schools are applying for energy efficiency loans and details of their plans will be released in coming months.

Action on Carbon and Energy in Schools (ACES), an energy efficiency support service, funded by Oxfordshire County Council and delivered by Oxford Brookes University and Low Carbon Hub, has been supporting schools with applying for the loan.

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The county council has been running the interest free loan scheme since July 2023 to help maintained schools reduce their overall energy usage, which in turn could help cut operational costs.

The school applied to the council for just under £12,000, out of an £800,000 fund, to finance the classroom installation of photovoltaic (PV) technology, which is designed to convert sunlight into electrical energy.

Councillor John Howson, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services, said: “We’ve already carried out 50 energy efficiency audits on our council maintained schools. The latest round of the loan scheme was launched earlier this year, with Sonning Common Primary School being the second to make use of the fund, after Nettlebed Community School.”

The school hopes to install the photovoltaic (PV) technology during the summer break in readiness for the new term in September.

Chris Hirst, Headteacher at Sonning Common Primary School, said: “We are thrilled to be able to add to our existing solar PV array. This most recent addition will help us to reduce our carbon footprint even more and will help us on our journey to become net carbon zero. We are proud to be playing our part and hope that other schools will follow to install renewable technologies.”

Other schools are applying for energy efficiency loans and details of their plans will be released in coming months.

Action on Carbon and Energy in Schools (ACES), an energy efficiency support service, funded by Oxfordshire County Council and delivered by Oxford Brookes University and Low Carbon Hub, has been supporting schools with applying for the loan.

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The county council has been running the interest free loan scheme since July 2023 to help maintained schools reduce their overall energy usage, which in turn could help cut operational costs.

The school applied to the council for around £48,000 out of an £800,000 fund to finance the classroom installation of LED lighting and/or rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, which is designed to convert sunlight into electrical energy.

Lisa Lyons, Oxfordshire County Council’s Director of Children Services, said: “We’ve already carried out 50 energy efficiency audits on our council maintained schools. The latest round of the loan scheme was launched earlier this year, with Nettlebed Community School being the first to make use of the fund.

“LED lighting makes classrooms brighter and more pleasant places to be for staff and students, so there will be practical as well as environmental benefits for pupils and teaching staff.”

The school hopes to install LED lighting during the summer break in readiness for the new term in September.

Bethany Greenwood, Headteacher at Nettlebed Community School, said: “We are delighted to be making such an impact on the school and the wider environment as part of our sustainability plan. The lighting upgrade will go a long way to reduce our carbon footprint. Our eco-council is delighted.”

Twelve other schools have applied for energy efficiency loans and details of their plans will be released in coming months.

Action on Carbon and Energy in Schools (ACES), an energy efficiency support service, funded by Oxfordshire County Council and delivered by Oxford Brookes University and Low Carbon Hub, has been supporting schools with applying for the loan.

Notes

The estimated energy saving from installing the LED lighting is c. 17,500 kWh per year and the estimated tonnes CO2 saved is 3.6 tCO2.

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