The school solar PPA process explained step-by-step. We coordinate every detail, your school just provides access and answers a few questions about energy use.
Get in touch and we arrange a no-obligation site visit. Our engineers survey your roof or land, assess structural condition, measure available area, and review your last 12 months of electricity bills. We model solar production against your specific consumption profile, including the difference between term-time daytime use and holiday low-load periods.
Takes around two weeks. You receive a written assessment with: indicative system size (kWp), projected annual generation, estimated annual savings, suitable PPA rate range, and recommended next steps.
School name, address, and 12 months of electricity invoices (or annual kWh consumption). Decision-maker contact. Any sustainability targets or net-zero deadlines you're working towards.
Based on the assessment, we go out to our institutional funder panel for competitive PPA pricing. Funders review the project specification, your school's covenant strength, and the proposed term length. We then bring back the best PPA offer for your school's situation.
You receive a detailed proposal including: per-kWh PPA rate, indexation mechanism, full system specification, projected savings over the contract term, end-of-term options, and the draft PPA contract for legal review.
Schools typically take 4-8 weeks at this stage to review the proposal, brief their governing body or MAT trustees, get legal sign-off, and approve at the appropriate governance level. We're available throughout to answer questions and revise terms.
What's the PPA rate vs current grid? How does indexation work? What happens at end of term? Who maintains the system? See our comprehensive FAQ for detailed answers.
Once the PPA is signed, we coordinate all consents and approvals with the funder's installation partner. This typically takes 8-12 weeks and runs in parallel with detailed design:
You sign off the final design before installation begins.
Installation typically takes 1-4 weeks of on-site work depending on system size. Installation is scheduled with your facilities team to minimise disruption to teaching. Where on-site work coincides with term, it is restricted to outdoor or roof-only activity with no classroom impact.
After physical installation, the installer commissions the system to G99 standards; we sit alongside to manage handover: electrical testing, grid synchronisation, inverter configuration, monitoring system setup, and final DNO approval. Once commissioned, the system starts generating immediately and your fixed PPA rate kicks in.
You receive: handover documentation, MCS certificate, monitoring portal access, public display setup (if requested), and STEM curriculum materials including lesson plans aligned to the national curriculum.
For the agreed PPA term, you pay a fixed per-kWh rate (with controlled annual indexation) for the electricity generated. The funder owns the asset and the funder's O&M partner handles maintenance, monitoring, insurance, and repairs. Your school enjoys meaningful electricity bill reductions, verified carbon reductions, and a live teaching resource, for zero capital investment.
Book a free site assessment for your school. We respond within 5 working days with an indicative PPA rate and savings forecast.
Book a free assessment