A SCHOOL and a college in Coventry are set to see their fuel bills slashed under pioneering green plans being funded by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker.
Solar panels are being installed at Coventry College and Sidney Stringer Academy as part of a project to create a Net Zero Neighbourhood in the Hillfields area.
They are being funded with £700,000 secured by the Mayor, West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Coventry City Council from newly established, government-owned Great British Energy (GBE).
Up to 90 per cent of the power needed to run both sites will be renewable, saving them a combined £90,000 a year in energy costs while cutting carbon emissions.
Andrew Walls, vice principal at Sidney Stringer Academy Trust, said: “Thanks to this funding we can now generate a huge share of our electricity from renewable solar energy, which will be transformative for our schools.
“Practically, it will significantly lower our energy costs so that more finance can go to frontline education. It will also significantly reduce our carbon emissions and help us in realising our vision of achieving Net Zero by 2030. This makes our schools more sustainable and sets a real and practical example for our students of how renewable energy can save both money and the planet.”
Gemma Knott, vice principal for business growth at Coventry College, said: “This will up-skill and re-skill local people to help install the growing number of solar panels, while we also install panels on our own campus to cut overheads – savings we can reinvest directly into skills and training for Coventry residents.”
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council’s cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change, said: “This is a real game-changer for Coventry’s path to net zero.
“By powering key educational buildings with clean, renewable energy, we’re not only cutting carbon emissions but also saving vital resources that can be reinvested into our community’s future.
“Projects like this demonstrate how innovation and partnership can drive the green economy and create a healthier, more sustainable city for all.”
Mr Parker said: “The action we’re taking at Coventry College and Sidney Stringer Academy to cut their energy bills will free up thousands of pounds that can go straight back into teaching and supporting our young people. And at the same time, we’re making the Hillfields area a cleaner, greener place to live.
“Thanks to major government backing, we’ve got the chance to roll out a big programme that will modernise more schools, libraries, leisure centres and council buildings across Coventry and beyond. This will help to protect the services people rely on every day and make sure they’re stronger and more resilient in the future.”
Sidney Stringer Academy and Coventry College are in one of the region’s first Net Zero Neighbourhoods – and have some of Coventry’s most gas-hungry buildings.
The solar panels are part of plans for a wider programme of investment in the area, including extending a low-carbon heat network that will unlock even greater bill savings and lower emissions.”
