No capital outlay

Solar for schools with no capital outlay.

A school, academy or multi-academy trust can go solar without touching its capital budget. Under a zero-cost Solar PPA a contracted funder pays for and owns the system, and the school buys the power it generates on-site below grid price. Solar Powered Schools develops and manages the project.

The short answer

There is a way for a school to get solar with no capital outlay: a Solar Power Purchase Agreement. A contracted funder funds, owns, insures and maintains the system on the school roof. The school signs a long-term agreement and pays only for the energy it uses, at a rate below grid pricing. No capital leaves the budget, and the saving lands from the first day the system generates.

Why it fits schools, academies and MATs

School roofs are typically broad and low-rise, and the daytime load during term time matches solar generation well, so a high share of the output is used on-site. Because there is no capital purchase, the funded route does not compete with front-line spending or estates budgets. Governance sits with the governing body or, for an academy or MAT, the trust board; we work to that timetable.

What the school does, and does not, take on

The school does not buy, own, insure or maintain the system. It provides roof access and some information about its energy use, and it buys the power. A contracted funder carries the capital and the performance risk. Solar Powered Schools develops and manages the project.

Part of Murphy Technologies Ltd

Solar Powered Schools is part of Murphy Technologies Ltd. For the wider funded model see uksolar.fund, and for the developer and PPA detail see mtfd.co.uk.

Common questions

Can a school get solar with no capital outlay?
Yes. Under a zero-cost Solar PPA a contracted funder funds and owns the system, and the school buys the on-site power below grid price. There is no capital outlay and no maintenance liability. Solar Powered Schools develops the project.
Can an academy or multi-academy trust use a solar PPA?
Yes. Academies and MATs can use a Solar PPA with no capital outlay, approved at trust board level. A contracted funder owns the system; the trust buys the power below grid price.
Who owns and maintains the solar system on a school?
A contracted funder owns, insures and maintains the system for the term of the agreement. The school simply buys the power it uses. Solar Powered Schools develops and manages the project.
What happens at the end of the school PPA?
The school can typically extend the agreement, take ownership at fair market value, or have the system removed. The choice sits with the school or trust.

Savings figures are indicative only and depend on the school, its electricity usage and the final agreement, and are subject to survey. This page is general information, not financial or tax advice. Solar Powered Schools is the trading name of Murphy Technologies Ltd, a solar developer, not a lender, funder or adviser, and does not arrange or broker credit. Murphy Technologies Ltd is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and nothing on this site is an offer of investment. Solar Powered Schools is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any government department or education body.

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