Want to own a piece of the sun? A White City school is doing just that after flipping the switch on H&F’s first community solar scheme.
More than 270 solar panels are now harvesting sunshine from the roof of Jack Tizard School in South Africa Road.
The £110,000 project – led by Hammersmith & Fulham Community Energy – will generate clean, green electricity to power more than a third of the school’s needs. It is expected to save the school around £2,000 annually on energy bills.
“We were really excited that, not only could we save some money on our energy bills which we could then spend on our children, but also that it would support people in the local community as well,” said Francesca Smith, headteacher at Jack Tizard school.
The school – which is rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted – supports local pupils with a range of severe learning difficulties, aged two to 19.
The new solar scheme is one of the ways H&F Council is working to make local infrastructure cleaner and greener while reducing costs for local taxpayers.
Solar stakes for sale
What’s unique at Jack Tizard is that it's an innovative community ownership model, giving residents the chance to invest upwards of £50 in the solar installation and earn a return.
“The panels will, in time, be owned by the community,” said Wilf MacDonald-Brown, Director at Hammersmith & Fulham Community Energy. “Members of the community will essentially have a stake in the mini power station on the roof of the school.”
It means that the bill-busting installation will not cost the school or the council a penny – while also generating up to £20,000 to benefit other local community projects.
“We will create a community fund to distribute to as many causes within the community as we can,” said Wilf. “It’s a tried and tested approach.”
Interested investors can join the H&F Community Energy mailing list to be the first to know when the offer opens in early 2025.
Join the energy revolution
The energy cooperative – kickstarted with financial support from H&F’s Climate Action Microgrants – will maintain the panels throughout the 20-year scheme.
After this period, the panels will be donated to the school, with an expected additional lifespan of five to 10 years.
H&F Community Energy is currently assessing four further community sites for potential solar installations, which could generate up to 755 kWp – enough to power 300 London homes.
Want to help bring solar-powered community energy to a street near you?
Interested residents can become a member for £1. Email the group at hfcommunityenergy@gmail.com to get involved as a volunteer or board member.
