Jul 3 2010
British Gas has announced that it is investing £15 million in order to bring about solar technology into British schools. The company is all set to install as well as donate solar panels for about 750 schools, with a budget ranging from £20,000 to £40,000 for each school. Thus, each school will have the capacity to generate green electricity on its own for free, resulting in 20% savings in its yearly electricity bill.
Over a period of the coming 25 years, the overall solar energy produced by these panels is expected to generate approximately £1.3 million every year. This accrual will once again be invested on more schools for installing solar panels. This would mean that around 1,100 schools will benefit from the installation of free solar panels by British Gas. These panels will also allow the schools to reduce their carbon footprints and decrease their overall emissions by about 1,400 tonnes annually, equivalent to removing around 400 cars from the roads.
A smart meter of British Gas will be given to the schools that receive the solar panels, providing real-time data so that students can view the performance of their solar panels. Additionally, Generation Green lessons have been specially created for helping teachers to engage their students in gaining knowledge about renewable energy. By coordinating with the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) of the British government, British Gas is delivering solar technology to schools in Britain.