More West Sussex schools join renewables project

Two schools in Crawley and Horsham are the latest to join the West Sussex County Council Solar Power for Schools programme to install solar panels that will power the school with clean electricity during the day.

Eleven schools are already operating under the Solar Power for Schools programme, with the County Council planning to have installed solar PV systems on more than 60 schools through its scheme by the end of next year.

The output from the solar panels reduces the amount of grid electricity the schools need to buy from their usual energy provider during the day, leading to a total annual bill saving of approximately £4,000 across the school sites. It is estimated that the schools will also reduce their carbon emissions by 49 tonnes in total each year and teach their pupils about the importance of renewable energy and protecting the environment.

Deborah Urquhart, cabinet member for Environment, said: “Our Solar Power for Schools programme gives forward-thinking schools a real opportunity to protect themselves against future energy price rises and make a contribution towards protecting the environment for future generations. We are delighted that so many schools are opting to join the programme that is also giving local installers an opportunity to bid for the work, which is good news for local investment and jobs in the county.”