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The UK government’s recent commitment to renewable energy, through a £180 million investment in schools and hospitals via GB Energy, is seen as a positive turning point by industry experts. Anthony Maguire, Managing Director of Longevity Power, an independent renewable energy consultancy, believes this move signals growing confidence in the sector and should encourage more private sector organisations to invest in renewables. Local governments in areas such as London, Cornwall, and Dorset have already begun expressing interest in accessing the funding. One of the main focuses of this investment is solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which are known to provide long-term cost savings by lowering energy bills. Despite their benefits, the high upfront costs have often hindered their adoption, particularly in public institutions that operate under strict budget constraints. Many schools lease their buildings or do not pay their energy bills directly, making it difficult to justify and fund such capital-intensive projects. Until now, there has been limited support to help schools through the process of evaluating, designing, and installing solar PV systems. Maguire said, “The policy shows leadership from the Government, who are now properly investing via GB Energy in long-term energy resilience and sustainability for the UK. Schools and hospitals are highly visible public buildings at the heart of communities, so the impact – both in reducing emissions and increasing public awareness of renewables – will be significant. Renewable energy projects in the public sector have often been held up by a range of factors, and the Government’s investment plans help address many of these issues. Businesses can follow the example set by GB Energy’s investment plans and commit to renewable energy themselves. It’s a prime opportunity for businesses to take advantage of the increased interest in renewable energy and reduce their emissions and energy bills. He further continued, “For example, among the 30 largest shopping centres in the UK, only eight currently have solar installed. And of the 334 shopping centres and retail parks nationwide that Longevity Power has analysed only 48 have solar PV installed – that’s less than 15 percent. There’s huge untapped potential here in the UK to do more with solar PV. In particular, GB Energy’s investment plans will hopefully act as a much-needed catalyst to boost the commercial property sector’s solar uptake.” Maguire is optimistic that the government’s backing will not only boost adoption within the public sector but also inspire confidence in the commercial sector to commit to similar initiatives. However, he also cautioned that for the UK to achieve its clean energy ambitions and become a true leader in the field, significant improvements to the country’s energy grid infrastructure must be made to overcome existing capacity and connection challenges. He also added, “Many clean energy projects – especially those over 1MW – are currently delayed and in limbo due to grid connection limitations, including many public and private sector buildings with large roof space. GB Energy needs to determine early in the application process if projects are designed for on-site consumption or are being built to export energy to the grid. That way, projects that have minimal grid impact – such as the ones we’re expecting for schools and hospitals – can get underway quickly and start benefiting sooner.” Maguire concluded saying, “We also need to see a strong commitment to battery storage. Batteries don’t just store excess solar – they help manage local energy flow, ease pressure on the grid, and create flexibility in when and how power is used. The public sector is ideally placed to lead in battery storage, and it can set the benchmark for wider adoption, at which point we’ll definitely see an ease in grid constraints.” |
