Malvern Primary School
Protecting school budgets with solar
Malvern Primary School in Knowsley, Liverpool, has around 500 children on site and a 130-place nursery. Working with Good Energy, the school has installed rooftop solar panels and EV chargers to help reduce energy costs, cut carbon emissions and support making sustainability part of school life.
In a community facing high levels of deprivation, the project is helping the school make savings that can be invested into the children’s education.
Key stats
Size of system: 49.76 kWp
Number of solar panels: 93
Actual savings per year: £8,125
Co2 savings per year: 9.34 tonnes
The challenge: Making solar panels work around school activities
Headteacher, Tony James, grew up in the area and attended Malvern School. His ambition to improve the school’s sustainability began after Knowsley Council declared a climate emergency.
The school formed an eco-committee called the Malvern Green Machine, and has since achieved distinction status with the Eco-Schools Green Flag.
Solar panels offered a way to reduce energy costs while giving pupils an example of sustainability in action.
Malvern school wanted to find a solution they felt confident in, and an opportunity through Knowsley Council and a government renewable energy scheme helped them start their solar journey.
The solution: Solar panels and EV charging, delivered around school life
Good Energy installed solar panels in Malvern school in December 2025, planning the project around a busy, live school environment.
Working closely with the school and local authority, our team coordinated around school activities to minimise disruption.
“Obviously installing solar panels on a school, on a live school site, in the weeks before Christmas, there’s a lot going on. But with good communication, clear expectations from us as a school and from the contractor, I would say it was able to be installed with minimal disturbance in a really safe manner.” Tony James, Headteacher at Malvern Primary School
Here’s how we delivered the project smoothly and safely:
- Safe installation in a live school environment, planned around pupils, staff and safeguarding requirements.
- Clear communication, flexibility and close collaboration with the school. For instance, working around times that electricity could safely be switched off.
- A clear point of contact and positive relationship that continued beyond the initial project, leading to the additional EV charger installation.
- Helping the school manage energy costs while bringing renewable energy to life for pupils.
Malvern School chose to go a step further, working with Good Energy to install EV chargers. This gave staff more incentive to use electric vehicles, supported by its salary sacrifice EV scheme.
The results: protecting school budgets with solar energy
Malvern school is already seeing the benefits from its solar panel installation.
Using the SolarEdge app to monitor performance, Tony reported that 15.3 MWh of solar electricity has been generated so far – according to figures in June 2026. At this point, solar was meeting 62% of the school’s energy consumption.
This early insight demonstrates how much of the school’s electricity demand can be met by its own generation.
“There’s the financial benefit, which I think most people will understand. But that money that’s saved then goes back into the children. It goes back into providing additional teachers, teaching assistants and resources.”
“These solar panels will probably, when I’m long gone from school, continue to make an impact on this community by saving money that can then be reinvested into the children.”
Tony James, Headteacher at Malvern Primary School
The panels also export surplus electricity to the grid, creating the potential for additional income for the school.
For Malvern school, the financial benefits matter because any savings can be redirected into education – from teaching staff and classroom resources to improvements around the school.
The school is also exploring further improvements to its energy efficiency, including replacing windows and doors and looking at more efficient ways to heat the building.
Bringing renewable energy to life for pupils
At Malvern school, solar panels are more than a way to generate electricity. They give children a visible, everyday example of sustainability.
The school has solar performance data displayed on a screen at the main entrance, allowing pupils to see how much energy the panels generate. This helps make renewable energy less abstract and gives children a practical way to understand how their school can reduce its environmental impact.
The project also supports Malvern’s wider ambition to be a greener school, led by its Malvern Green Machine and rooted in its school values.
The school hopes that this practical solution will help pupils understand the role they can play in building a more sustainable future, while opening their eyes to potential careers in renewable energy.
“We’re kind to ourselves. We’re kind to each other. And we’re kind to the planet. There’s a lot of alignment with renewables, with Malvern and that ambition of being the greener school.”
Tony James, Headteacher at Malvern Primary School
A long-term investment in the school community
For Malvern, the benefits of solar go beyond energy generation. The installation is part of a wider commitment to sustainability that connects the school, its pupils, staff and local community.
By working collaboratively with the school to deliver the project safely during term time, Good Energy has supported financial, environmental and educational benefits.
Tony would encourage other schools and public buildings to consider similar solar and EV projects:
“Ultimately, it saves money and it’s good for the environment. You can’t ask for much more.”
“If you were looking for a recommendation, I would be happy to recommend the work that’s been undertaken.”
