Wheatley Park School

We installed 195 solar PV panels on Wheatley Park School’s maths and english blocks, generating 42,437kWh of clean electricity per year, to power the school. The scheme is saving 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, as well as helping to educate the school’s 1005 pupils on climate change and the role of renewable energy.

Wheatley Park’s solar panels were funded through our oversubscribed 2015 community share offer, giving staff, parents and local residents the opportunity to own the installation. The funds from the electricity generated give a return to the community who have invested in the panels, as well as helping reduce school bills and enabling future community-benefit projects. You can read more about the installation in this case study for Friends of the Earth.

Energy reports

195
solar panels
48.75
kW installed capacity
42,308
annual generation (kWh)
21%
school's electricity needs met
£20k
savings to school bills over lifetime
8.48
tonnes of CO₂ emissions saved every year

It’s great to be saving some money in a time of shrinking budgets. It means we will have more available for teaching resources, for maintaining the pupil-teacher ratio and for more creative projects. The Low Carbon Hub scheme is a really fantastic deal for schools. (You are) part of a community which has the capacity to generate electricity, which is good, I think, for their education and their awareness.

KATE CURTIS, HEADTEACHER

We were surprised to come back to school in September and see the panels on the Maths department, but felt good that Wheatley Park was generating clean energy for Oxfordshire. It seems a really positive way of using school buildings, and educates all of us to realise that we can stay warm in the winter but at the same time put something back without damaging the environment.

SIXTH FORM PUPIL

We are very impressed with the way all the work has been carried out. From our point of view disruption was minimal and the job was undertaken in a very professional way.

KEVIN HERITAGE, BUSINESS AND ESTATES/FACILITIES MANAGER

Could your school be a solar school?

If you work in a school in Oxfordshire, and you’re interested in finding out more about how your school could work with us to install a solar array, please contact our Projects Manager.