News From the Co-op

Mapping our member schools

November 10, 2025

For the first time, we have mapped the locations and capacities (in kilowatts) of our solar PV installations on member schools and buildings – that’s over 100 installations. You can find all the information on our Projects Page. The sites are divided by county, or by borough in the case of London where we have…

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Why don’t all schools in the UK already have solar panels?

October 15, 2025

This post was originally published on the Energy4All website. At present only around 20% of UK schools have solar panels, even though the renewable technology appears to be an easy win for its ability to save schools money long-term whilst cutting their environmental impact. The British public are overwhelmingly in support of solar panels on…

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Updates from our Annual Meeting

September 30, 2025

The Schools Energy Co-op held it’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 25th September 2025. An annual meeting is a requirement for every registered Co-operative Society, it gives our members a chance to have their say and vote on the running of the co-op. We held the meeting online over Zoom, and around 40 people attended…

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Record high dividends paid to schools this year

September 25, 2025

The Schools’ Energy Co-op recently held it’s Annual General Meeting, where members voted to approve a dividend payment of £60,000 to our member schools. The dividend is allocated between schools broadly in proportion to how much the solar panels hosted on their site contribute to the co-op. We have 92 member schools, and a handful…

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Schools save close to £1 million on their energy bills thanks to community-owned solar

July 30, 2025

This post was originally published on the Energy4All website. Schools across the UK saved an estimated £928,000 last year on their energy bills, thanks to six co-ops in the Energy4All family: The Schools’ Energy Co-op, Wey Valley Solar Schools Co-op, North Lincolnshire Community Energy, Edinburgh Community Solar Co-op, Energise South and REPOWER Balcombe. At a…

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People gather in front of solar PV panels newly installed on the Ise Lodge rooftop

Northamptonshire added to the map with installation on Ise Lodge Community Centre

October 30, 2024

The Schools’ Energy Co-operative have installed 48 solar panels on Ise Lodge Community Centre in Kettering. It is our first installation in Northamptonshire. The installation is expected to save the community centre £2000 in it’s first year. Members of the community gather to launch the new solar PV panels This project was initially the idea…

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Chair Mike Smyth Awarded MBE

January 7, 2023

Mike Smyth, chair of The Schools’ Energy Co-operative, has been awarded an MBE in King Charles III’s first New Year’s honours list for services to the environment. Mike has been recognised for his dedication and commitment in his roles in the energy and environmental sector, as chair of Schools’ Energy, Wey Valley Solar and Energy4All…

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Salisbury cathedral

Installation of 93 solar panels on Salisbury Cathedral

July 17, 2020

Salisbury Cathedral takes a step forward in bid to become carbon neutral by 2030 with the installation of 93 solar panels Salisbury Cathedral has taken a step forward in their bid to become carbon neutral by 2030 in line with targets agreed earlier this year by the Church of England by installing solar panels on…

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SALISBURY CATHEDRAL INVESTS £25,000 IN SCHOOLS ENERGY CO-OP SHARE OFFER

December 20, 2019

The Dean and Chapter, Salisbury Cathedral’s governing body, have decided to invest £25K in our share offer, to support the community share raise. The Cathedral Cloisters is one of the sites on which solar PV will be installed, subject to consents and permissions. Canon Robert Titley, Cathedral’s Treasurer and environmental lead, explained: ‘As our climate…

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Suffolk Awards 2019

August 6, 2019

Schools’ Energy Co-op won the Suffolk award for local energy yesterday for its work at Westbourne School.  The judges particularly liked its replicability and the way we had overcome all the obstacles, including finance, a school could have to installing solar.  Suffolk County Council has declared a climate emergency and resolved to be zero carbon…

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