Green Fox Community Energy, a not-for-profit community benefit society, is partnering with Leicestershire County Council and Let's Go Zero to offer your school free community-funded solar panels and guidance on climate action planning from a Let's Go Zero advisor. With support from the government's Community Energy Fund, Green Fox will install, maintain, and operate solar panels on your school's roof—helping you significantly cut electricity costs while reducing your carbon footprint. This initiative is backed by Leicestershire County Council, and your school will also benefit from resources and support from the Let's Go Zero campaign through the brilliant advisors program: Climate Action Advisors - Lets Go Zero

The Community Solar Schools project is funded by the government's Community Energy Fund, covering all pre-installation feasibility assessment costs. Getting started is easy and requires minimal effort on your part. Simply provide us with your school's electricity usage data and a recent electricity bill.

Suitable schools will then be provided with a no-obligation community funded solar proposal, showing your potential savings and reduced carbon footprint. Following this, each school can undertake their own due diligence checks before deciding whether to enter into the agreement.

• Save money on electricity bills

• Support green energy and sustainability in your community

• No upfront or ongoing operating costs —solar panels are fully funded

• Help inspire students with real-world renewable energy solutions

Not only does Green Fox provide a source of low-cost renewable electricity, but our community fund helps organisations benefit from renewables across Leicestershire. If you have any questions, feel free to ask by contacting Matt Brown matt@greenfoxcommunityenergy.org

With just a little information from you, we can show you how much your school could save

Leicestershire County Council has put together a page full of information and resources covering waste and environmental topics for schools. To find out more please visit https://www.leicestershiretradedservices.org.uk/Services/3496

The Council have also created a handy booklet for help, advice and support with your green efforts:

Sustainability and climate change guidance to support nurseries, schools and colleges Pdf

There is a range of free interactive engagement activities for schools on reuse, recycling, composting and household food waste.

Let's Go Zero(Link is external and opens in new window) is a national campaign that provides schools with free support and advice on their journey to net zero.

National Education Nature Park(Link is external and opens in new window) is a platform supplying free programmes for educators to embed climate and nature into learning.

Further support for sustainability can also be found in our new network below.

Schools in England contribute a quarter of public sector carbon emissions, making them crucial in achieving the UK's net zero goals. Education Effectiveness, working alongside departments across the county council and key external parties, is offering a sustainability network for all nurseries, schools and colleges in Leicestershire.

It aims to:

• create a network of sustainability leaders at each school, who continue to share knowledge and best practice when teaching about sustainability and implementing initiatives within the school

• connect with peers to share ideas and resources around climate change, sustainability, nature and the environment

• learn from each other and network with other like-minded schools

• become more sustainable, through advice, support and best practice shared across schools

• positively impact and inspire our communities by improving the sustainability of the environment in and around education settings and the knowledge and understanding of children and young people

For more information regarding the Sustainability Network please email: educationeffectiveness@leics.gov.uk