Advice & funding guide · Schools and community buildings
Solar, batteries and EV charging for schools and community buildings, and how to fund them.
Cornwall has some of the best solar in the UK, but its schools and community groups are often missing out on the funding available. Here's how the three technologies work together, the questions to answer first, and the funding routes worth knowing about.
What solar, a battery and EV charging can do together
Each one helps on its own. Together they use more of your own power and earn from what's left over.
Solar panels
Schools use most of their power in daylight, term time, which is exactly when solar generates. Every unit used on site is a unit you don't buy from the grid.
Battery storage
Stores midday surplus for the late afternoon and evening: after-school clubs, lettings and community use. It can also charge on cheap overnight rates.
EV charging
Turns spare solar into income. Staff charge in the day, and the community can charge in the evenings, at weekends and in the holidays, when the building is otherwise empty.
A real example from Cornwall
Crantock Village Hall runs solar, a battery and two public EV chargers. In its latest 12 months the chargers made the hall £1,614 profit from 306 sessions, with no volunteer time. Read the case study.
A five-step strategy for schools
Answer these before you ask anyone for a quote or a grant. Funders and installers will ask the same questions.
- 1
Know your load
Get 12 months of half-hourly meter data from your supplier. It shows when you use power, so solar and battery can be sized to your building, not a brochure.
- 2
Check the roof
Orientation, shading, structure and remaining roof life. Panels last 25+ years, so a roof due for replacement should be done first.
- 3
Plan for holidays and weekends
Summer holidays are the sunniest weeks and the building is quiet. Decide where that power goes: export, a battery, EV charging for the community, or all three.
- 4
Check the grid connection
Larger systems need the network operator's permission before connection (a G99 application). Leave time for it in the plan.
- 5
Choose how to pay for it
Buy outright, use grants and match funding, crowdfund, or let a community energy group own the panels and sell you the power. Each has different paperwork and payback.
EV charging for state-funded schools has its own grant until 31 March 2027. See how zero-upfront-cost school charging works.
Funding routes worth knowing about
Most projects are funded from more than one source. The skill is putting them in the right order, so one unlocks the next.
Cornwall Council Climate and Nature Fund (via Crowdfund Cornwall)
Match funding up to £5,000, and up to £15,000 for exceptional projects
- You run a Crowdfunder campaign and the Council match funds it.
- The Council lists solar panels, battery storage and EV charge points at community buildings and sports clubs as eligible.
- Renewable energy on school grounds is within scope. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
- For one-off capital costs, not running costs or salaries.
National Lottery Awards for All England: Environment
£300 to £20,000
- Funds community-led projects that respond to the climate and nature emergency.
- Schools can apply only where the project mainly benefits the wider community, not just pupils, staff or parents. It doesn't pay for school building improvements.
- A community group, village hall or parent association charity is often the stronger applicant.
- Apply at least 16 weeks before you need the money, and wait for a decision before you spend.
- You may see the Lottery's Small Eco Awards mentioned. They're for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland only; this is England's equivalent.
Great British Energy Community Fund
Up to £40,000 feasibility, £100,000 development, and capital up to £3 million or 50% of the project
- For incorporated community organisations set up to run energy projects, with the project at least 50% community owned.
- A common model: a community energy group puts panels on a school or hall roof and sells the building cheaper power.
- In the South West, the South West Net Zero Hub gives free support. Talk to them early.
- Current round closes 11:55pm on 12 November 2026.
Aviva Foundation Communities Fund (via Crowdfunder)
Match funding up to £25,000 per organisation a year
- Matches individual donations to your Crowdfunder campaign, up to £250 per donation.
- For UK charities, CIOs, CICs and similar organisations with an income of £1 million or less, including a school's parent association charity.
- Projects must focus on climate action or financial wellbeing. Check your energy project fits their climate criteria.
- Match funding runs for six weeks from launch, and the fund can close when the year's budget is used.
Crowdfunding
Whatever your community backs, often unlocking match funding
- Crowdfunder hosts funds from councils and other partners that top up campaigns that hit their targets.
- Parents, local businesses and residents can back a visible project like panels on the school roof or a village charger.
- Match funds have rules, such as a minimum number of backers or reaching part of your target first. Read them before you launch.
Great British Energy solar for schools. The government has funded solar on schools and colleges it has selected, prioritising deprived areas in the North East, North West and West Midlands. Ask your trust or local authority whether your school is in scope.
Funding details checked against official sources on 26 October 2026. Schemes change and close, so always check the official page before applying.
Talk to us first
We're independent advisers based in Cornwall. We help schools, trusts, councils and community groups work out what's worth doing, how to fund it, and who should deliver it.
- A free first conversation about what you want the building to achieve
- A look at your meter data, roof and car park, and what solar, battery and EV charging could realistically deliver
- A funding route map: which grants, match funds and crowdfunding fit your project, and in what order
- Help writing the numbers for applications, and introductions to the right installation and funding partners
- One point of contact from first idea to switch-on
Frequently asked questions
Got a school, hall or community building in mind?
Free first conversation for schools, trusts, councils and community groups in Cornwall and Devon.
Looking for help with solar and batteries at home?