A week of outdoor family fun for only £20? Yes please!

http://heartofexmoor.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/family-discover-explore-exmoor/

Solar4Schools programme

GE and Solarcentury to get UK schools generating £68,000 from solar power

GE has formed a partnership with Solarcentury, to provide financial services support for its Solar4Schools programme. The programme, which has already installed solar electric systems in over 250 schools across the UK, aims to introduce solar power to hundreds of schools across the nation over the next two years. The Feed-in tariff, launched by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change in April 2010, pays those with solar electric systems a premium on all of the electricity they generate for a guaranteed 25 years. Solarcentury’s Solar4Schools aims get schools generating income from the tariff and taking full advantage of the scheme.

For schools and local authorities looking to make savings and hedge against rising electricity prices, GE Capital, the financial services arm of GE, is offering an exclusive and unique financial package for schools. This initiative could enable schools to save up to £840 a year on electricity bills and generate an income of over £3,000 a year, without the full upfront cost of buying solar. The school will simply pay back the equipment cost over 15 years using income generated from the recently introduced solar feed-in tariffs. Over a 25 year period a typical secondary school could see income and savings of around £68,000.

Unlike other school solar initiatives, where a utility or equipment provider owns the system, GE’s scheme will mean schools or local authorities own their equipment once the lease is repaid, enabling local communities to benefit from the full feed-in tariff payments from year 15 to 25 of the scheme. GE will pay the cost of installing the solar technology, starting at £16,000, with either local authorities or schools typically funding a small initial deposit.

Solar4Schools encourages education in environmental issues and renewable energy, providing lesson plans and a teacher kits to schools with its solar power. Also, the amount of electricity generated and C02 savings is shown on a display in school with system data available online. Currently there are over 29,000 schools without any renewable energy source. Schools can apply for funding via www.solar4schools.co.uk

Hello!

Hi there

I’m Lucy, the new(ish) Exmoor Ecoschools project coordinator. I’m really looking forwards to meeting most of the Exmoor schools at our meeting on Monday.

One of the things I am trying to do is make this website as useful as possible. I would love to know if you think this blog could potentially be a useful way of sharing ideas, links, achievements etc. I would keep emailing you as well, but perhaps it could be useful for all the information to be in one place, particularly once this project officially ends, and/or you have staff changes in your school? If we don’t think the blog is useful, then I will delete it!

Cheers, and hopefully see you on Monday.
Lucy