Pupils across the country will benefit from more money for textbooks and teachers as the first schools are announced in Great British Energy’s rooftop solar rollout aimed at cutting energy bills.

Schools are benefitting from funding for rooftop solar, with the first 11 schools estimated to save £175,000 a year after installing Great British Energy solar panels.

The remaining schools set to benefit will be announced this summer, with all schools that are part of the scheme expected to have solar panels installed by the end of the year.

It follows the Government’s announcement in March to award £180m of funding for schools and hospitals to install rooftop solar, marking the first major project for Great British Energy – a company owned by the British people, for the British people.

In England, around £80m is supporting around 200 schools, alongside £100m for nearly 200 NHS sites, covering a third of NHS trusts, to install rooftop solar panels that could power classrooms and operations, while giving them the potential to sell leftover energy back to the grid.

Great British Energy’s first investment could see millions invested back into frontline services, targeting deprived areas, with lifetime savings for schools and the NHS of up to £400m over 30 years.

It comes as schools have been hit with rocketing energy bills in recent years, costing taxpayers millions of pounds, and eating into education budgets.

Energy Minister, Michael Shanks, said: “Solar panels on school rooftops mean energy bills are cut and money can be invested directly into improving young people’s education while helping to tackle climate change for the next generation.

“Great British Energy is delivering rooftop solar as part of our Plan for Change that will support communities for generations to come, relieving pressures on our vital public services and ensuring investment is made in the future of our young people.”

Great British Energy chairman, Juergen Maier, added: “Within two months we are seeing schools supported by our scheme having solar panels installed so they can start reaping the rewards of clean energy – opening up the opportunity for more money to be spent on our children rather than energy bills.

“By partnering with the public sector as we scale up the company, we will continue to make an immediate impact as we work to roll out clean, homegrown energy projects, crowd in investment, and create job opportunities across the country.”

The 11 schools benefiting in the first rollout are:

• Charles Warren Academy, Milton Keynes
• Feversham Primary Academy, Bradford
• Harris Academy Chafford Hundred, Essex
• Harris City Academy Crystal Palace, London
• Notre Dame RC School, London
• Oasis Academy Nunsthorpe, Grimsby
• St Boniface’s RC College, Plymouth
• St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Poole, Dorset
• St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Axminster, Plymouth
• Westfield Primary Academy, Suffolk
• Whiteknights Primary School, Wokingham

Education Minister, Stephen Morgan, said: “Through our Plan for Change, this government is supporting schools to save schools thousands on their bills so they can reinvest money saved into ensuring every child gets the best start in life.

“The installation of solar panels will also help pupils to develop green skills, promoting careers in renewables and supporting growth in the clean energy workforce.”

Currently only about 20% of schools have solar panels installed, but the technology has huge potential to save money on bills.

Estimates suggest that on average, a typical school could save up to £25,000 a year if they had solar panels with complementary technologies installed such as batteries.