LocatED appoints delivery partners for major school decarbonisation project

LocatED and the Department for Education (DfE) have announced the appointment of delivery partners to manage decarbonisation interventions in three nationwide lots of 47 schools and colleges, as part of GB Energy Solar Partnerships programme.

The initiative will target a total of 141 schools and colleges across three lots in 2025-26, supporting the government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower while breaking down barriers to opportunity.

LocatED has appointed Mace, a company of delivery consultants and construction experts, Barker and AECOM to deliver the project with the process of selecting schools to participate in the next phase already underway.

This programme is part of Great British Energy’s £200 million investment to install solar panels on approximately 200 schools and 200 NHS sites across the UK. Estimates suggest that a typical school could save up to £25,000 per year on energy bills through these measures.

In addition to the installation of solar PV, schools will be receiving a suite of measures to help reduce energy consumption, bills and carbon emissions. This includes a behaviour change programme, empowering the whole school community to make a positive impact and optimisation of existing controls to help reduce energy consumption. These measures are already having a positive impact on our 50 pathfinder schools, where in some cases we are seeing energy consumption reduce by up to 20 percent.

The project builds on LocatED’s successful Net Zero Accelerator Pathfinder, which has already delivered decarbonisation measures to 50 schools since autumn 2024. These interventions included behaviour change workshops, improved energy data gathering and solar panel installations.

The initiative contributes to the DfE’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, which aims to achieve a 75% reduction in emissions by 2037. It represents a key component of Great British Energy’s first major project, announced in March by the Energy and Education Secretaries.

The project will:

• Help schools reduce energy bills while generating renewable energy
• Simplify the complex process of school and college decarbonisation
• Make clean energy solutions more accessible to educational institutions
• Support the government’s commitment to tackle climate change

This work follows a feasibility study conducted by LocatED in autumn 2023, which demonstrated the potential range of decarbonisation interventions, their carbon reduction impact, delivery costs and income generation potential.

Andy Beard, Managing Director for Europe at Mace Consult, said: “Being appointed as a delivery partner for this transformative programme highlights the strength of our ongoing partnership with the Department for Education. Supporting the DfE and LocatED in accelerating the decarbonisation of schools is a critical opportunity to create more sustainable public sector estates as part of the UK’s broader energy transition. At Mace, our focus on early engagement and actionable decarbonisation plans will help drive this initiative, creating powerful legacies and bringing long term resilience to the education sector.”

Lara Newman, Chief Executive of LocatED, said: “This appointment marks a significant milestone in our efforts to help the education sector reach Net Zero. By combining our understanding of the commercial property market with our commitment to creating value for the education sector, we are protecting taxpayer interests while delivering meaningful environmental impact.”

The delivery partners will commence work immediately, with the first installations expected to be completed in schools by late 2025. The project will prioritise schools in areas of deprivation in the North East, West Midlands and North West, as part of a wider programme to target at least 10 schools in each region this financial year.

Further education colleges in each cluster will work with appointed contractors to promote careers in renewables, supporting growth in the construction and renewables workforce through work placements, skills bootcamps and workshops.

Jo Streeten, Managing Director, Buildings + Places at AECOM, said: “We’re excited to partner with Great British Energy on this transformative project, with our technical and advisory teams working closely with schools across the North East to implement clean energy solutions and lower energy costs. An important element of the scheme will be engaging pupils, sparking their curiosity about smart energy use and the important role each of us plays in achieving net zero.”

Tom Deacon, Partner at Barker, said: “Being part of this pioneering programme is a testament to the hard work and expertise of the TEEAM alliance. We are excited to see our proposed concepts being tested and are confident that they will pave the way for sustainable transformations in the education sector. This programme is a critical step in achieving the government’s ambitious net zero targets, and we are honoured to contribute to this vital cause.”