How we work with schools and local organisations
Wey Valley Solar installs solar panels free of charge on school and community building host sites. We own and maintain them, and the host site pays a favourable rate for the electricity - usually far below market rate. We have saved schools tens of thousands of pounds in electricity bills using this model.
On enquiry of interest, we will hold discussions with the school or community organisation to talk through how we work. We ask for outline information on how much electricity the school uses and what price it’s paying per kilowatt hour (kWh).
Surveying
Next, our preferred contractors Joju Solar will do a desktop survey to establish if there are roofs of sufficient size and orientation. Based on our development partner Energy4All’s historic knowledge of 100s of solar installations, we will be to present an outline proposal for how much solar-based electricity we can supply to the school or site and at what price level.
If the host organisation is positive about the proposal, we will arrange for Joju Solar to visit the site to establish any difficulties – such as tree-shading – that need to be factored in. We will also contact the local distribution network operator (DNO) to see if there are any issues about connecting to the national grid. Depending on the host organisation’s structure, this might be the point at which trustees or governors are involved to support the school team’s decision-making.
When the organisation has considered the updated proposal and agrees in principle to proceed, we then arrange for a structural survey to ensure that the roofs identified have sufficient load-bearing strength.
Contracts and Funding
If all has gone to plan, and any issues ironed out, the agreement can then proceed via a simple power purchase agreement (PPA) and an installation schedule agreed. At this stage, Wey Valley Solar will be analysing if a dedicated share issue needs to be done or whether, in the case of a small solar PV array, installation can be funded through reserves or via an intra-coop loan.
When the co-op is organising a share issue to raise the capital for a number of installations, we will create a formal prospectus so existing Wey Valley Solar investors, the organisation’s own cohort and the wider Energy4All ‘community of cause’ membership can decide on investment. To date, Wey Valley Solar and Energy4All have been successful in all of their share issues.
You can find out more in our FAQs for solar sites.