Solar Panels for Schools Grants UK: What Funding Is Available in 2026?

Solar panels for schools grants in the UK are public funding routes that pay for, or remove the upfront cost of, rooftop solar PV on school and college buildings. In 2026 the largest routes in England are the Great British Energy Solar Partnership and the Department for Education’s solar PPA pilot, but both select schools rather than taking applications. Most schools therefore need a self-funded or finance-based route.

 

 

Key Takeaways

• Great British Energy has funded solar on 245 schools and colleges, with 100 more confirmed in July 2026, but schools are selected by the government and cannot apply.
• The DfE solar PPA pilot covers up to 150 schools in three English regions and is expected to inform a national rollout from 2027 to 2028.
• Every state school PPA in England must now use the DfE template, and new approvals are paused until it is published in autumn 2026.
• The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is closed, with no funding beyond projects already awarded.
• Schools in Wales can apply to the Salix Wales Funding Programme, while Scottish school solar is funded through council-led heat decarbonisation bids.
• School solar savings depend on matching the system to term-time demand, because peak summer generation falls during the holidays.
• Roof condition, land consent and grid approval determine whether any project proceeds, so assess them before choosing a funding route.

 

 

What solar panel grants are available for UK schools in 2026?

 

Three government programmes are putting solar on English schools in 2026, but none accepts open applications from individual schools. Wales and Scotland run separate, application-based schemes administered by Salix.

 

The table below summarises each route and its status as of October 2026.

 

In practice, the only routes a school can actively pursue today are the Wales Funding Programme, a council-led Scottish bid, a CIF bid tied to a genuine condition need, or a commercial finance model. Everything else depends on being selected. The sections below explain each route in turn.

 

Can schools apply for Great British Energy solar funding?

 

No. Great British Energy and the Department for Education choose which schools receive funded solar, and there is no application form for individual schools or academy trusts.

 

Great British Energy (GBE) is the UK government’s publicly owned energy company. Its Solar Partnership is an investment of up to £255 million to install solar and complementary technologies on schools, colleges, NHS sites and military sites, according to a joint DfE, DESNZ and GBE press release from 16 July 2026. By that date, 245 schools and colleges had government-funded panels, and 100 more were confirmed to join with up to £40 million of funding.

 

Selection has been deliberately targeted. Great British Energy reported in March 2026 that the first wave focused on schools clustered in areas of deprivation in the North East, West Midlands and North West, plus at least 10 schools in every English region.

 

The headline savings are significant but need careful reading. The DfE reports that secondary schools with solar and upgraded LED lighting are saving £58,600 a year and primaries £21,000 a year. Those figures combine solar with LED upgrades, so they should not be used as a solar-only benchmark for your own business case.

 

What does this mean for your school? Around 345 schools have been funded or confirmed so far, set against roughly 22,000 schools and colleges in England cited in the DfE’s Education Estates Strategy (February 2026). Plan your project on the assumption that you will not be selected, and treat selection as a bonus.

 

How does the DfE solar PPA pilot for schools work?

 

A private provider funds, installs, owns and maintains the solar panels at no upfront cost, and the school buys the electricity generated at a pre-agreed rate that is usually below its grid tariff.

 

The Department for Education is piloting power purchase agreements (PPAs) with up to 150 schools and colleges in Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands and the South East, as part of the first phase of its Renewal and Retrofit Programme. According to DfE guidance published 16 July 2026, schools are selected using pre-defined criteria, final selection was due to conclude at the end of summer and procurement starts in autumn 2026. The DfE hopes every school and college can procure renewable energy this way from the 2027 to 2028 financial year.

 

Why the PPA rules matter even if you are not in the pilot?

 

The pilot changed the rules for every state school in England considering a PPA. From 15 July 2026, any PPA for the school estate must use the DfE PPA and land lease template, and the DfE is not approving new cases while it tests that template. It expects to publish the templates in autumn 2026.

Two further conditions apply to non-pilot cases handled by the DfE’s School Land Transactions Team:

• Applications will not be approved where the roof condition is poor.
• Every case is assessed for value for money before approval.

 

What does this mean for your school? A PPA remains a viable no-capital route, but the timetable now depends on the template’s release. The pause is a useful window to complete roof surveys, gather energy data and resolve land consent, so your project is ready to submit as soon as approvals resume.

 

 

Is the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme still available to schools?

 

No. The UK government has committed no further investment to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme beyond projects already awarded, so schools cannot make new applications.

 

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) was run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and delivered by Salix. In June 2025, Salix confirmed that there would be no additional PSDS funding following the Spending Review. Phase 3c grant funding continued until 31 March 2026, and Phase 4 projects are funded until 31 March 2028.

 

PSDS was historically one of the main grant routes for school solar, usually alongside heat pumps or other heat decarbonisation measures. Any supplier or guide still presenting PSDS as an open option for 2026 is working from outdated information.

 

Which other Department for Education funds can include solar panels?

 

The £710 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme can include solar PV where sites are suitable, while the Condition Improvement Fund supports solar only when it forms part of a genuine condition project.

 

Renewal and Retrofit Programme

 

The Renewal and Retrofit Programme is backed by £710 million to 2029-30 and was announced in the DfE’s Education Estates Strategy. According to DfE programme guidance, it is not open to bids: the DfE selects schools based on condition need, and its works can include installing solar PV where sites are suitable. The first phase, from 2026 to 2027, focuses on the same three regions as the PPA pilot.

 

Condition Improvement Fund

 

The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is an annual bidding round for eligible academies, voluntary-aided schools and sixth form colleges. The DfE prioritises health and safety, building compliance and buildings in poor condition, and 2026-27 projects must be completed by 31 March 2028.

 

In EvoEnergy’s view, a standalone solar bid is unlikely to score well under CIF’s condition-led criteria. The stronger approach is to plan solar alongside a funded roof replacement, so the new roof is designed to carry an array for its full 25 years or more of operation.

 

How can schools pay for solar panels without a grant?

 

Most UK schools will fund solar through a power purchase agreement, capital purchase, a lease or a green loan, sometimes supported by local authority or community energy funding.

 

The right model depends on who controls the budget and the building. Capital purchase suits trusts and councils with reserves, while a PPA suits schools that want savings without capital or maintenance responsibility.

 

Local authority and community energy routes

 

Some councils and combined authorities fund school solar directly. Through the Mayoral Renewables Fund, a £10 million GBE early delivery scheme for 2025-26, Sunderland City Council secured £345,000 to install solar on 13 maintained schools. That fund required spending by 31 March 2026, but it shows why your council’s energy team should be your first call.

 

Community energy groups can also fund school arrays and sell the electricity back to the school. GBE is running a £1 billion Local Power Plan alongside DESNZ to expand community and local ownership of renewables, and is exploring grants and loans to support it.

 

Independent schools

 

The DfE and GBE programmes are aimed at state-funded schools and colleges. Independent schools typically use the commercial routes above, where their ability to sign long-term contracts and own their buildings outright can make PPAs and capital purchase simpler to arrange.

 

 

How much do solar panels cost for a school, and how much can they save?

 

DESNZ data shows that solar systems between 10 kW and 50 kW had a median installed cost of about £1,256 per kW in 2024/25, and larger systems generally cost less per kW.

 

The figure comes from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s solar PV cost data, which draws on the MCS Installation Database. At that rate, an illustrative 40 kWp array would cost in the region of £50,000. Real school costs vary with roof type, scaffolding, structural work, access restrictions and grid connection requirements.

 

The school calendar is the biggest variable in savings

 

Schools use most of their electricity during daylight hours in term time, which suits solar well. The limitation is that peak solar generation in summer coincides with the summer holiday, when demand drops sharply.

 

Well-designed school systems manage this in three ways:

 

1. Sizing to term-time base load, using half-hourly consumption data rather than annual totals.
2. Exporting surplus under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), which requires larger electricity suppliers to offer a tariff for exported power.
3. Adding battery storage or increasing holiday use through clubs, lettings and community activities.

 

A system sized to the school’s actual demand profile will usually outperform a larger array that exports much of its summer output at a low tariff.

 

What should schools check before applying for funding or signing a solar PPA?

 

Roof condition, land consent, grid connection and half-hourly energy data decide whether a school solar project can proceed, regardless of the funding route.

 

1. Roof condition and remaining life. The DfE will not approve PPAs on roofs in poor condition, and an array should not outlast the roof beneath it. Older school buildings also need an asbestos survey before any roof works.
2. Structural capacity. A structural engineer should confirm the roof can carry the additional load, particularly on lightweight or flat roofs.
3. Land ownership and consent. Most academies occupy land under long leases from the local authority, so landlord consent is usually required. PFI schools also need agreement from the PFI contractor.
4. Grid connection. The local Distribution Network Operator (DNO) must approve the connection, and most school-scale systems are assessed under the Energy Networks Association G99 process.
5. Energy data. Half-hourly consumption data shows term-time base load, which determines the right system size.
6. Installation window. Roof works should be scheduled for school holidays, with all contractors vetted in line with the DfE’s Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.
7. Long-term maintenance. EvoEnergy currently maintains a 5.7 MW solar portfolio across UK schools for Centrica, mostly installed around 2012. Several sites needed remedial work, and ageing 2G monitoring hardware now needs replacing, so budget for operations and maintenance from day one.

 

What should your school or trust do next?

 

Start with a feasibility assessment that confirms your roof, grid capacity and energy profile, then match the project to the funding route that fits your school type and location.

 

Waiting for a government selection letter is not a strategy. The schools that move fastest when funding opens, or when the DfE PPA template is published, are those that already hold a costed design, a roof survey and a clear view of their consent requirements.

 

EvoEnergy have delivered projects in schools and other educational facilities including Cambridge Regional College, Cheltenham Gloucestershire College and Portland College. Book a solar feasibility to find out which route your school or trust can realistically use. Explore solar for schools, colleges and universities to see how we design around term dates and safeguarding requirements. Compare zero-upfront PPA funding and our full range of finance options. Protect existing school arrays with our aftercare service if your panels are approaching their second decade.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Can schools get free solar panels in the UK?

Only schools selected for the Great British Energy Solar Partnership receive solar with no cost to the school. A power purchase agreement also removes the upfront cost, but the school pays for the electricity it uses, usually at a rate below its grid tariff.

 

Can academies and multi-academy trusts apply for Great British Energy funding?

No. The Department for Education and Great British Energy select participating schools and contact them directly. Trusts can prepare by gathering energy data and roof surveys, which strengthens any future funding or PPA case.

 

Are independent schools eligible for solar panel grants?

The main government programmes are aimed at state-funded schools and colleges, so independent schools generally fund solar through capital purchase, PPAs, leases or green loans. Local or community energy schemes may occasionally include independent schools, depending on their criteria.

 

Is Salix funding still available for school solar?

Salix still administers open schemes outside England. The Wales Funding Programme is open to Welsh schools, and Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund supports council-led projects, but the England-wide Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is closed to new applications.

 

Does a school need DfE approval for a solar PPA?

State schools in England need DfE land consent for PPAs and linked land leases, and from 15 July 2026 they must use the DfE PPA and land lease template. New approvals are paused while the template is tested, with publication expected in autumn 2026.

 

What happens to solar electricity generated during school holidays?

Surplus electricity can be exported to the grid and paid for under a Smart Export Guarantee tariff, stored in a battery for later use, or used by holiday clubs and community lettings. Sizing the system to term-time demand reduces the amount of low-value export.