Decarbonising the Hertfordshire schools estate
The guidance below has been prepared by Hertfordshire County Council following enquiries around the resources available to facilitate the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on maintained schools within Hertfordshire.
Please also see the position statement below:
Depending on the classification of schools, the ways in which funding is available will vary. This guidance also outlines the different responsibilities across the different types of schools within Hertfordshire, and how these schools can obtain funding, for further guidance on this, please see further guidance on the funding mechanisms for Hertfordshire schools.
What are the responsibilities of Hertfordshire County Council?
Hertfordshire County Council is responsible the owner and manager of a significant proportion of the schools within Hertfordshire, primarily through the maintenance of “maintained school” buildings.
As part of future investment plans, The Council is committed to being a net zero greenhouse gas county by 2050, following policy commitments within the Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy. This requires a 90% reduction on the baseline emissions for the council in order to reach this target. The council also has an additional target to be carbon neutral in its own operations by 2030. In line with these targets, there is a significant challenge on The Council to decarbonise its owned buildings.
Is it better to invest in PV or building improvements?
Two of the key approaches by which The Council can reduce its embodied carbon impact is through improvements to fabric of buildings (e.g. improving insulation), but also switching from the use of fossil fuels to renewable energy supplies. This includes moving from the use of non-renewable heating systems (E.g. gas boilers) but also through the introduction of lower carbon systems such as heat pumps and incorporating the use of solar panels to reduce energy demands.
It is essential that the correct approach is taken on a site-by-site basis, to ensure that future investment is spent most efficiently. This will require the undertaking of a building survey and energy audit to identify the most efficient measures to implement.
What must be considered?
Particularly for the installation of solar panel systems, there are several factors to consider prior to implementation. These include the approach for funding, maintenance, and operational requirements, as well as the option for including battery storage systems as part of this investment. Whilst solar PV installations are often considered a significant capital investment at the start of a project, typical lifespans of these systems can generate renewable power for up to around 25 years.
Maintenance of these systems will also be critical for successful operation (e.g. replacement of inverters at key points during the system life cycle). Whilst some degradation of panels is anticipated, these can often provide a significant proportion of a building’s energy requirements through to their end of life.
A building survey will determine whether the current roof construction is suitable for the loadings required for a solar PV system, as well as an assessment of whether the mounting of a solar PV system could negatively impact on any warranties for new roof systems. Where there is uncertainty, review the operation and maintenance (O&M) manual, or alternatively contract the roof installer of the system.
Obtaining the correct approvals before proceeding with any works or installations.
The majority of state schools in Hertfordshire are owned freehold by Hertfordshire Council. Where a community school wishes to install solar panels or other equipment on or to a building, the prior consent of HCC as landowner is required. This is carried out through the Landowner’s Approval process set out on the GRID.
Where HCC is not the freeholder of the school, such as with a Foundation School, a voluntary controlled (VC) or voluntary aided (VA) school, the owners of the school being the Board of Governors, or the Diocese need to be consulted. It should be noted that in the case of VC and VA schools, it is likely that HCC owns the playing fields at the school so if panels or equipment are to be mounted on the playing fields then HCC’s consent as landowner will be needed.
For academy schools, the academy trust should check the terms of the academy lease to see if the consent of HCC as landowner is needed before works are carried out. If consent is required, then the process for obtaining consent is set out on the GRID.
Finally, there are some instances where the superior landlord’s approval is required before works can be undertaken. Advice will be provided if this is the case when landowner’s approval or landlord’s consent is applied for under the processes set out on the GRID.
Consideration of any requirements to obtain planning approval will also be required. If the site is listed or within a conservation area, then specific consents from the Local Planning Authority may be required.
If works to the roof have been undertaken within the last 20 years, then there may still be warranties in place that need to be managed effectively to ensure that the terms of the same are not breached.
What are the commercial considerations?
These may be funded through either capital investment for the systems, or in some cases, external providers can provide the capital funding up front, recovering the costs through energy savings over time.
Furthermore, some approaches will require the granting of a lease where a third-party organisation owns the PV array installation. These costs are typically then recovered by selling this energy back to the school at an agreed rate for the duration of the agreement.
Where these approaches are being considered it is critical to ensure that the agreements provide flexibility and suitability for the needs of the school in future, as these often run for a period of 15 years or more, and there may be additional charges for early termination of the contract. Schools considering these agreements, should seek legal advice prior to proceeding with an agreement.
Where a school does not own the building, the agreement is to be placed on, they must obtain written consent from the building owner to ensure the installation is appropriate. Additionally, the implications of planning constraints must be considered (E.g. listed buildings, conservation areas) before proceeding with an installation.
Where appropriate however, these agreements can provide a significant percentage of a school’s energy requirements, reducing the reliance on national grid energy rates, and providing a source of renewable power for school buildings.
Frequently asked questions
Decarbonising a school is a site-specific exercise and there is no “one size fits all” intervention that can be used. The first stage is to undertake an energy audit to understand the most cost-effective measures for the school to implement, which could be renewable power systems (E.g. solar panels) or building fabric improvements (E.g. insulation).
Hertfordshire County Council do not currently have a funding allocation for the installation of PV panels on school roofs. Community energy schemes do provide an approach for the provision of renewable power for school buildings, without the need for capital investment, however there are various suppliers of these systems, which must be considered on a site-level basis as to whether this is the best approach for the school. The Council are currently preparing further guidance on these schemes.
It will depend on the number of panels that are installed at the school, typically this meets a significant percentage of the energy needs for a school, but some electricity will still need to be purchased from the national grid.
This will depend on a range of factors including the construction and operation of the school buildings, as well as how easy it is to retrofit these systems to the school buildings.
Hertfordshire County Council does not currently have a framework, or list of suppliers for the delivery of energy audits, however we can advise on the key components that should be considered within these. For further information please contact DCDRequests@hertfordshire.gov.uk.