Care home solar — blog and sector intelligence
Honest, in-depth articles on the questions UK care home operators actually ask. New posts monthly.
Salix vs PSDS Phase 4 — Which Route Should Your College Choose?
Decision framework for FE college estates teams choosing between Salix Decarbonisation Loan and PSDS Phase 4 capital grant for solar projects.
19 May 2026
Writing Your First AoC Climate Action Plan — A Sustainability Lead's Guide
Practical framework for new FE college Sustainability Leads writing their first Climate Action Plan under the AoC/EAUC roadmap framework.
17 May 2026
Multi-Site Portfolio Solar Programmes for FE Group Corporations
How group corp Sustainability Directors plan, fund and deliver portfolio solar programmes across 3-15 campus FE estates.
15 May 2026
Listed Building Consent — Solar on Heritage College Estates
How FE colleges, sixth form colleges and specialist designated institutions handle Listed Building Consent for solar PV on Grade II and Grade II* main buildings.
13 May 2026
Why Land-Based Colleges Have the Strongest Solar Economics in FE
How agricultural, equestrian and horticultural college estates deliver 5.0-5.8 year Salix-funded paybacks — the best in the FE sector.
11 May 2026
G99 DNO Application Timeline for FE College Solar Projects
What FE college estates teams need to know about G99 grid connection applications, DNO timelines, and managing parallel-track project delivery.
9 May 2026
Skills England Transition (June 2025) — What It Means for FE Solar Projects
How the replacement of IfATE with Skills England affects FE college solar funding, project rationale, and Climate Action Plan strategy.
7 May 2026
Battery Storage for FE College Solar — When the Numbers Stack Up
Decision framework for adding battery storage to FE college solar installs. When batteries pay back, when they don't, and how to size them.
5 May 2026
T-Level Green Skills Curriculum — Using On-Campus Solar as a Teaching Resource
How FE colleges integrate live solar generation data into T-Level Building Services Engineering, Construction, Engineering and Digital curriculum delivery.
3 May 2026
Smart Export Guarantee — Best Tariffs for FE College Solar Exports in 2026
Comparing Smart Export Guarantee tariffs for FE college solar projects. Octopus, E.ON Next, EDF, Scottish Power, OVO and others ranked for non-domestic export.
1 May 2026
Structural Survey and Asbestos Management for Pre-2000 FE College Estate
What FE estates teams need to know about structural roof surveys and asbestos management on the pre-2000 college building stock that dominates the sector.
29 April 2026
ESFA Post-16 Audit Code — What Applies to FE College Solar Projects
How the ESFA Post-16 Audit Code governs Salix loan applications, PSDS bids, and capital project reporting for FE college solar projects.
27 April 2026
Welsh Colleges and Solar — Net Zero Wales by 2030
How Welsh FE colleges access Salix, Welsh Government Energy Service, and Net Zero Wales public sector funding for solar projects.
25 April 2026
Scottish Colleges and Solar — SFC, SRUC, UHI and the Net Zero Path
How Scottish FE colleges access decarbonisation funding under Scottish Government Net Zero policy and the Scottish Funding Council framework.
23 April 2026
Northern Ireland Colleges and Solar — CAFRE, Belfast Met, Regional Colleges
How NI FE colleges access decarbonisation funding through DfE NI, the Northern Ireland Executive, and UK-wide schemes.
21 April 2026
In-House Ownership vs PPA — Which FE College Solar Model Wins?
Detailed comparison of capital purchase (Salix-funded), PPA, and lease structures for FE college solar projects. NPV, governance, and risk implications.
19 April 2026
Agritech Curriculum and Solar — Turning Your Land-Based Estate into a Live Teaching Lab
How land-based colleges integrate live solar generation, battery storage, and EV/tractor charging data into agritech, agriculture and sustainable land management curriculum delivery.
17 April 2026
EV Charging Integration with FE College Solar — Staff Fleet, Student Cars, Tractors
How FE colleges design EV charging infrastructure alongside solar PV — staff fleet, student commuters, residential SDIs, and agricultural EV at land-based colleges.
15 April 2026
Year-One Implementation Checklist for FE College Solar Projects
Month-by-month delivery checklist for an FE Sustainability Lead delivering the first year of a college solar programme — from board approval to commissioning.
13 April 2026
Reporting to the Corporation Board — Solar in the AoC Climate Action Plan Progress Update
Practical template and structure for reporting solar project outcomes to the FE corporation board as part of the AoC Climate Action Plan annual update.
11 April 2026
EAUC Sustainability Leadership Scorecard — How FE Colleges Score Well
Practical framework for FE Sustainability Leads completing the annual EAUC Sustainability Leadership Scorecard return. What scores Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum.
9 April 2026
DNO by Region — G99 Connection Patterns for FE College Solar Across the UK
Region-by-region DNO guide for FE college solar projects. Northern Powergrid, UK Power Networks, WPD, SSEN, SP Manweb, SPEN, NIE Networks.
7 April 2026