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.
Twelve months from board approval to commissioning is the standard timeline for an FE college solar project. Here’s the month-by-month checklist that successful Sustainability Leads work through.
Month 1 — Foundation
- Corporation board approval minute formally recorded
- Sustainability Lead role and reporting line confirmed in writing
- Project budget allocation confirmed (Salix + any matched funding)
- Project Director identified (typically Director of Estates or Director of Finance)
- Sustainability Committee composition confirmed (Principal/CEO, Director of Finance, Director of Estates, Student Union rep, external sustainability expert)
- First Sustainability Committee meeting scheduled
Month 2 — Feasibility kick-off
- Half-hourly meter data pulled from the corporation’s electricity supplier (12 months minimum)
- Structural engineer survey commissioned for every campus and every roof slope
- Asbestos R&D survey commissioned where pre-2000 estate is involved
- Solar feasibility partner appointed (us, ideally)
- Feasibility scope confirmed — system sizing, sub-vertical analysis, funding stack mapping, DNO assessment
Month 3 — Design and bid drafting
- Feasibility report received and reviewed
- Design package finalised — system size, panel manufacturer, inverter manufacturer, mounting system, electrical design, monitoring platform
- G99 DNO application initiated
- Salix Decarbonisation Loan application drafted
- Corporation board paper drafted for project approval
- Procurement strategy confirmed (direct award, framework, competitive tender)
Month 4 — Approvals
- Corporation board paper presented and approved
- Salix application submitted
- PSDS Phase 4 bid prepared (if bundling with heat decarbonisation)
- Procurement process initiated
- Communications plan briefed to internal stakeholders (Principal/CEO, learner-facing teams, marketing)
Month 5 — Salix and PSDS responses
- Salix loan offer received (typically 6-10 weeks from submission)
- Salix loan contract signed
- PSDS bid scoring confirmed (if applicable; rolling rounds)
- G99 DNO progress check — confirm timeline alignment with planned install date
- Communications: announce project to learner body and staff
Month 6 — Procurement complete
- Installer appointed and contracted
- Build programme finalised aligned with academic calendar
- Insurance, warranty, and post-install monitoring contracts confirmed
- Site security and access protocols agreed with estates team
- DBS clearance confirmed for all install crew
- KCSIE safeguarding induction scheduled
Month 7 — Pre-build mobilisation
- G99 connection agreement issued by DNO
- Final structural and asbestos reports issued
- Listed Building Consent in place (if applicable)
- Site setup briefing with installer
- Scaffold provider mobilised
- Disruption windows confirmed per campus (exam periods, T-Level synoptic blocks, EPA windows)
Month 8 — Physical install (summer break window 1)
- Scaffold erection complete
- Mounting system installation
- Panel delivery and installation
- Inverter installation
- Battery installation (if applicable)
- DC and AC electrical first fix
- Weekly site supervisor reports to Sustainability Lead
Month 9 — Commissioning
- Electrical commissioning by MCS-certified contractor
- DNO witness testing scheduled
- Final safety certifications issued
- Monitoring platform integration with corporation IT
- Live-generation dashboard install in main entrance
- Classroom data feed for T-Level Green Skills cohorts configured
Month 10 — Go-live
- DNO commissioning visit and connection agreement final sign-off
- Smart Export Guarantee licensee registered (Octopus Outgoing, E.ON Next Export Exclusive, etc.)
- First grid-connected operation
- AoC Climate Action Plan evidence pack delivered
- Curriculum tie-in: first lesson sequence using live data
- Press release and social media announcement
Month 11 — Post-commissioning review
- First-month generation review (actual vs modelled)
- Salix first repayment scheduled
- SEG first export payment received
- Sustainability Committee review meeting
- EAUC Sustainability Leadership Scorecard data populated
- Open day demonstration prepared
Month 12 — Year-1 closing
- Year-1 performance review against feasibility model
- Variance analysis (any divergence >10% formally reported)
- AoC Climate Action Plan annual progress update drafted
- Corporation board update with year-1 outcomes
- Year-2 project scoping initiated (likely heat pump + further PV)
- Lessons-learned register updated
Common slippage points
Five places where year-one projects most often slip:
- DNO G99 timeline. Underestimated as a 4-6 week process; actually 12-18 weeks. Start in month 3, not month 6.
- Salix application quality. Conservative energy savings calculation is approved fast; aspirational claims trigger clarification rounds that add 4-8 weeks.
- Corporation board approval cycle. Some corporations have quarterly board meetings — missing the cycle adds 3 months of slippage.
- Asbestos discovery. Type 3 enclosed protocols add 3-4 weeks and £15-25k to project. Plan for the possibility on pre-2000 estate.
- Term-time install attempts. Disrupts teaching, generates governance friction, slows the project. Always sequence physical install into summer break window.
What “good” looks like at end of year 1
A successful first year of an FE solar programme delivers:
- Single-site project commissioned and grid-connected with verified positive year-one net cash position
- Live-generation dashboard operating in main entrance with classroom data feed
- AoC Climate Action Plan evidence pack drops cleanly into the corporation’s annual report
- EAUC Sustainability Leadership Scorecard first return populated with real data
- Lessons-learned register ready to inform year-2 scope (typically heat pump + further PV)
- Internal communications momentum — learner body, staff, parents and Sustainability Committee all aware of the asset
The corporation board has been delivered a tangible, visible, financially positive intervention against the Climate Action Plan target. Years 2-5 build on that foundation.