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.
Published 13 April 2026 by SEO Dons Editorial
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.