Solar panels, batteries & heat pumps for schools and colleges in Sussex
BHESCo helps primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and multi-academy trusts across Sussex cut energy costs through community-funded solar power, battery storage and energy efficiency upgrades.
- Start with a no obligation survey
- Projects developed at no upfront cost
- Instantly reduce energy costs
- Demonstrate sustainability in action for students
Whether you manage a single primary school or a multi-academy trust, we design, finance and project manage the transition to low-cost, low-carbon energy from start to finish.
Reduce school energy costs while investing in your pupils' future
Running a school or college is expensive, and energy is typically the second-highest cost after staffing. Finding money for solar panels, battery storage or heat pumps is hard when budgets are already stretched, and that’s before accounting for the hassle of planning permission, grid connections and structural surveys. BHESCo removes all these barriers.
As a community-owned energy co-operative, we design, finance and install your energy project using capital raised from local community investors, not your school’s budget, so you start saving from day one.
- Reduce energy bills with on-site electricity generation. Reinvest savings in staff, resources or facilities.
- Protection against volatile commercial energy tariffs with fixed, discounted electricity prices
- Upgrades paid for through community investment, not in competition with school budgets or lengthy grant applications
- Demonstrate climate leadership to pupils, parents, governors and your local community
- Create a hands-on sustainability teaching resource - a live example of the energy transition on your own roof
Book a call with our team
If you are interested in working with BHESCo to revolutionise the way that your school or college sources it’s heat and power then please provide your details in the form below and a member of our Projects Team will get back to you to discuss next steps.
Our track record of working with schools and colleges
We’ve partnered with more than a dozen schools and colleges across Sussex, installing over 2,000 solar panels with a combined generation capacity of 667kWp.
Together, these projects are expected to save schools an estimated £2.8 million on energy costs over their operational lifetime, and cut carbon emissions by 5,100 tonnes of CO₂ over the next 20 years.
Case Study: Montessori Place, Uckfield
Technology installed:
- 27kW solar PV
- 7kW air source heat pump
- 87kW ground source heat pump
- underfloor heating
- 106 LED lamps
- 300mm loft insulation
Lifetime financial saving: £49,260
Carbon reduction: 90% tonnes
“The subliminal daily message of having the lights powered by the sun is the most powerful teacher we have in preparing our children for a future where they consider the wellbeing of the planet as being synchronous with their own” – Paul Pillai, Headteacher
Other schools and colleges that BHESCo have partnered with:
Hertford Infants, Brighton
Year: 2020
Solar PV Capacity: 48kW
Peter Gladwin Primary, Hove
Year: 2024
Solar PV Capacity: 49kW
Saltdean Primary, Brighton
Year: 2019
Solar PV Capacity: 49kW
Hill Park School, Hove
Year: 2022
Solar PV Capacity: 67kW
Varndean College, Brighton
Year: 2019
Solar PV Capacity: 49kW
Plumpton College, Plumpton
Year: 2019
Solar PV Capacity: 97kW
Mile Oak Primary, Hove
Year: 2024
Solar PV Capacity: 70kW
Tarnerland Nursery, Brighton
Year: 2019
Solar PV Capacity: 14kW
What typical upgrades can be made to improve the energy performance of schools and colleges?
Schools and colleges are ideal for solar power generation, with daytime occupancy aligning with peak solar output and many sites offering large, unshaded roofs. Depending on the site, air or ground source heat pumps may also be suitable.
Other valuable upgrades could include smart heating controls, data-driven heat management, LED lighting, movement sensors and power-down plugs. These are key considerations when developing an effective energy strategy for your school or college.
Solar power for Sussex schools and colleges
Generate your own low-cost electricity from unused roof space, cutting reliance on expensive grid power during the school day when panels (and pupils) are at their most active.
Getting more out of solar with battery storage
Store surplus solar power generated during the day for use in the evenings (e.g. sports clubs, night classes, etc), or even early the next morning, when solar energy from the sun is weak. Batteries also enable you to take advantage of off-peak tariffs, or to export unused solar electricity during peak evening hours, earning a new source of revenue.
All-in-one heating and cooling
Air-to-air heat pumps warm classrooms in winter and cool them in summer from a single efficient system, replacing old gas heating without needing separate air conditioning.
Efficient lighting that switches itself off
LED lighting paired with occupancy and daylight sensors cuts electricity use automatically, without relying on staff or pupils to remember to flick a switch.
Smarter heating, zone by zone
Modern heating controls and sensors match warmth to occupancy room by room, so energy isn’t wasted heating empty halls, offices or classrooms out of hours.
Turning energy data into a lesson
A real-time energy dashboard in reception shows pupils, staff and visitors exactly how much power the school is generating and using, turning the building itself into a live sustainability lesson.
Your first step: a free, no obligation energy survey from BHESCo
To identify opportunities for improving the energy, carbon and cost savings potential of any school or college, it is vital to gain a thorough understanding of existing energy demand and consumption patterns.
For this reason, a BHESCo energy survey should be the first phase of any planned improvements, underpinning every other stage of your future energy strategy.
Our bespoke energy survey will provide a thorough and detailed examination of every aspect involved with heating and powering your buildings and facilities. [view examples of our work].
- Measure consumption
- Evaluate data
- Identify opportunities
- Recommend upgrades
We will design a bespoke on-site micro-generation and energy saving system, identifying technology synergies to enhance efficiency and deliver maximum cost savings for your school/ college. Our analysis will measure and compare the anticipated reduction in demand that we can expect from installing different types of energy saving and/ or energy generating technologies.
In this way we can make conclusions about which combination of technologies will best meet the heat and power requirements of the institute, as well as being able to provide upfront cost and future savings projections to help you make the best decision.
If an energy survey is all you are looking for, we do charge a fee for our service (typically £70/ hour).
However, schools who decide to work with BHESCo to install their energy management improvements will not have to pay for their energy audit upfront – the cost will be absorbed into the Power Purchase/ Hire Purchase Agreement.
Energy upgrades for no upfront cost to your school
At BHESCo we understand that finding the upfront capital for solar panels, battery storage or heat pumps is one of the biggest barriers facing schools and colleges. That’s why every project is delivered through community financing.
Project costs are raised from BHESCo’s network of community investors, people across Sussex who want to use their money to put more solar power on schools. This means there’s no upfront cost to your school, so you benefit from lower energy bills from day one.
The project costs are paid back over an agreed number of years using a portion of the savings achieved from monthly energy bills.
At the end of the contract period, ownership of the energy system is transferred to your school who enjoy 100% of the savings achieved.
CAPEX funded by community investors
Feasibility & development done on customer’s behalf
Energy upgrades installed for no upfront cost
Savings from energy bills used to repay CAPEX + investor interest
Why choose BHESCo as your trusted partner?
BHESCo is a social enterprise, which means we’re motivated by big impacts, not big profits. We’ll give your governors and business team honest answers, including telling you if solar power isn’t the right fit for your buildings.
No upfront cost to you
Financed through a Power Purchase Agreement, funded by our community investor network, not your capital budget
No sales commission
As a co-operative, our team isn’t paid to upsell or oversize your system; recommendations are based on what your site actually needs
Profits reinvested, not extracted
Surplus goes back into more community energy projects, not as dividends to shareholders
Long-term accountability, not a one-off installer
Ongoing post-installation support means we stay accountable for how your system performs after handover, including maintenance
Genuine local expertise
Nearly 70 community and commercial energy projects delivered across Sussex, with in-house knowledge across solar PV, battery storage, heat pumps and efficiency
Community-rooted, not remote
Brighton & Hove based, accountable to the Sussex community we operate in, not a national or overseas head office
Transparent, values-led decision-making
Co-operative governance means decisions serve member and community interest, not quarterly shareholder targets
A funding model that shares the benefit
Community investors who fund your project share in the returns, keeping the economic value of your energy transition local
Why energy leadership matters for your school community
The Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy commits the education sector to net zero by 2050, with every education setting expected to appoint a sustainability lead and develop a climate action plan. With education buildings accounting for a significant share of public sector emissions, schools that act early on energy are getting ahead of a policy direction that will only tighten.
Beyond compliance, solar panels or a heat pump provide a powerful, everyday teaching tool,giving staff a real-world example to use across the curriculum and showing pupils, parents and the wider community that sustainability is something the school practises, not just teaches.
Staff and student engagement is equally important. When the school community understands the financial and environmental benefits, they’re more likely to adopt energy-conscious habits that help maximise the technology’s savings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my school have to become a member of BHESCo?
No. We make our energy service available to every school and college in Sussex, whether or not they go on to become a BHESCo member. Many customers do choose to become members, but it isn’t a requirement.
Does my school need to use BHESCo's Pay As You Save finance?
No. We offer Pay As You Save so that any school can make the transition to clean energy without needing the upfront capital. If your school is able to, and would prefer to, fund the project upfront instead, that’s absolutely fine — you’ll keep 100% of the savings from day one.
How much does an energy survey cost?
Costs depend on the size of your site, but our services are generally costed at £70/hour. If you go on to work with BHESCo on your energy project, the cost of the survey is absorbed into your Power Purchase Agreement rather than charged upfront.
What's included in the energy survey report?
A breakdown of where your school is wasting heat and electricity, our recommended solutions, typical upfront costs, anticipated payback periods, and the expected financial and carbon savings for each option — so your governors or trust board can make an informed decision.
What does my school need to prepare before the survey?
Access to every room, including loft space where relevant, along with any meters, boilers or hot water controls. A copy of your most recent gas and electricity bills is essential for us to understand your current usage and costs.
Is my school eligible for grant funding as well as Pay As You Save?
Grant availability changes regularly. We investigate relevant opportunities such as the Community Energy Fund or Rampion Community Fund where applicable, on behalf of every customer, and will always tell you if grant funding could reduce or replace the need for our finance model.
Does BHESCo only work with large schools or colleges?
No. We’ve delivered projects ranging from a single independent primary school (The Montessori Place, 27kW) to a college campus (Plumpton College, 97kW), and everything in between, including multi-academy trusts.
What areas does BHESCo cover?
BHESCo is based in Brighton & Hove and works with schools, colleges and multi-academy trusts across Sussex.