The Schools PV Programme provides eligible schools with up to 6 kilowatts peak of roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) installations on their roofs, which equates to approximately 14 solar panels.
The Schools PV Programme is funded by the Government’s Climate Action Fund in line with the Government’s recognition that taking action on climate change is central to Ireland’s social and economic development. It is assisting schools in reducing their energy costs and carbon footprint as part of the response to meeting the 2030 and 2050 Climate Action Plan targets for the schools’ sector.
The overall programme will see up to 24 megawatts of installed renewable energy provision on schools with associated savings in the region of €5.5 million per year across 4,000 schools.
The installation of solar PV panels schools directly assists schools to reduce their carbon emissions and energy costs, while also educating pupils and the wider school community about the benefits of solar technology.
The update of the programme has been very positive to date. A total of 3135 have so far sought tenders and applied for funding through the Schools PV Programme.
With respect to the remaining schools invited to apply to the Schools PV Programme, Oof these, 154 schools had already received solar panels, prior to the launch of the Schools PV Programme, all new schools built post 2019 include PV panels, and a further 130 are due to receive them through other Department of Education and Youth funded capital projects.
150 schools indicated that they had explored unsuccessfully the possibility of installing solar panels. This may be due to a range of factors, including roof or electrical limitations, schools operating from rental accommodation, or those sharing an MPRN with another organisation, such as schools located within hospital settings. Schools with roofing or electrical limitations will have the opportunity to avail of the programme as these limitations are addressed.
A further 97 schools have yet to engage with the programme. My department has been again actively engaging with these schools over the past number of weeks to encourage them to apply for funding or to understand their reasons for not participating in the scheme.
To date, a total of 2,573 schools have confirmed that their PV systems have been installed. It is important to note that there can be a delay between installation and confirmation to the Department, so the actual number of completed installations is likely higher.
My Department is not releasing the exact budget or the total funding approved to date for the programme at this stage as it remains an active delivery initiative and the information is commercially sensitive. The Department of Education and Youth continues to monitor expenditure under the scheme to ensure it delivers value for money.
