Futura Learning Partnership, a trust of 27 schools, is taking a proactive stance on climate and sustainability matters. In partnership with Bath & West Community Energy, it has installed a solar array at Sir Benard Lovell School, its academy in Oldland Common, Bristol, which will see an impressive reduction in the school’s carbon emissions by approximately 113 tonnes per year. This is good news for the environment and for the Futura community, who are concerned about the climate crisis.
Bath & West Community Energy, a not-for-profit community business, has installed solar panels on the school roof at no direct cost to Futura, enabling the trust to benefit from the use of lower-cost clean electricity generated by the sun for the next 25 years.
This is a win-win for Futura, reducing carbon emissions and making substantial savings on their electricity bills. Not only does this support the trust’s initiatives to reduce its climate impact, but it also allows it to divert cost savings towards resources that inspire and enrich young people.
“Working in partnership with Bath & West Community Energy has provided many benefits to our Trust,” said Andrea Arlidge, Chief Executive, Futura Learning Partnership. “The solar panels will make significant cost savings, which will be used to enhance the education we provide to our learners. They also help us fulfil our commitment to taking every possible step to support environmental sustainability.”
BWCE is a not-for-profit community business, member-owned and member-led. In addition to five solar farms and a small modern water wheel, they have installed 30 rooftop solar systems across schools and other buildings, but the installation at Sir Bernard Lovell Academy is their biggest rooftop installation to date.
It’s aim to is to put local people at the heart of the energy transition to zero carbon. Working with schools not only directly benefits the future generations, but it also demonstrates a commitment to positive and practical action towards the climate crisis.
To increase its impact, BWCE needs more people to join the movement and is currently fundraising though its Community Share offer. It needs to raise a further £800,000, to successfully make further installations on more schools.
BWCE’s ethos is community ownership for community good. It installs solar panels onto community buildings for free and sell the generated electricity back to the building owner at a discounted price. As a not-for-profit, all surplus income is invested into a community fund for local good, so far £380,000 has been allocated to the fund which has benefitted 91 community projects in Bath & North East Somerset.
For more information and to find out how to get involved visit www.bwce.coop/invest