Guidance and Case Studies
Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy
Managing Scopes 1, 2 & 3
Sustainable Procurement
Installation of Solar PV at 4 Plymouth CAST Schools
Project details: Notre Dame Roman Catholic School, St Boniface’s Roman Catholic College, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, & St Mary’s Catholic Primary School
Value: £286,600 – fully funded by the NZAPP
Location: Plymouth, Poole & Axminster
Overview
As part of the Net Zero Accelerator Programme Pathfinder, the Barker Consortium identified various energy savings and carbon reducing ‘interventions’ which were scoped and subsequently approved by DfE for full grant funding. A number of the intervention projects included the installation of solar PV, four of which were at the Plymouth CAST schools, Notre Dame Roman Catholic School, St Boniface’s Roman Catholic College, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, & St Mary’s Catholic Primary School.
The Solution/Outcome
A total of 310kWp (kilowatt peak) has been installed across the four Plymouth CAST schools, which will see an anticipated annual generation of 286,980kWh (kilowatt-hours). This level of generation could easily power a secondary school for a whole year, or even two primary schools. Since installation was completed in the last week of March 2025, two of the schools have seen periods of time operating ‘off grid’ where the solar generation is sufficiently meeting the energy demands of the site. The installations are a huge step in the right direction in terms of carbon footprint reduction, with schools producing their own clean energy, as well as providing well received cost savings. Works were planned and delivered within a tight target timeframe with all parties working seamlessly together to achieve a fantastic outcome that will make a real difference to the schools and Trust.
Optimisation of Controls at Sir Herbert Leon Academy
Project details: Adjustment of heating controls to optimise, reduce costs and energy use
Value: No direct associated cost, covered under the NZAPP
Location: Milton Keynes
Overview
As part of the Net Zero Accelerator Programme Pathfinder, the Barker Consortium were tasked with the review of heating and hot water control settings at all 25 NZAP schools, as part of the ‘Heat Decarbonisation Plan’ surveys. During the fieldwork visits existing controls were reviewed with recommendations provided as part of the final report for each school. Suggested adjustments were subsequently discussed with all Trusts/Schools, with physical adjustments carried out on return visits, following approval. Across the whole programme, annual energy savings for such adjustments are estimated to be in the region of 650,000kWh, with financial savings of over £75,000 across all schools.
The Solution/Outcome
Sir Herbert Leon Academy in Milton Keynes (LIFT Trust) was perhaps the school to see the greatest savings through controls adjustments, of what is a complex set up of a biomass boiler, (which burns wood pellets) together with secondary gas boilers. The school should now see a huge reduction in gas consumption, which will provide a large annual financial saving. During the field work and control adjustment visits, the team took the opportunity to provide training and guidance to the on-site staff, this was provided to all schools, along with user guides relevant to the specific control system at each site.
