South Thames Colleges Group — group overview
South Thames Colleges Group operates as a multi-campus FE corporation group across South London, delivering education to 20,000+ across South London. The campus portfolio spans:
- Carshalton College
- Kingston College
- South Thames College (Wandsworth)
- Merton College
At 20,000+ across South London across 4 campus locations, South Thames Colleges Group is one of the larger entities in the UK FE sector. Multi-campus group corps of this scale benefit from significant procurement and bidding economies of scale — a single Salix or PSDS Phase 4 application can cover the entire portfolio, with phased delivery aligned to each campus's term-time calendar.
Sustainability commitment and Climate Action Plan
South Thames Colleges Group Climate Action Plan aligned with GLA Mayor of London Net Zero by 2030 commitment. Solar PV identified as lead intervention.
Like every UK FE corporation, South Thames Colleges Group sits within scope of the November 2022 ONS reclassification — meaning Salix Decarbonisation Loans and PSDS Phase 4 capital grants are fully accessible for portfolio solar programmes. The AoC and EAUC Climate Action Roadmap (Nov 2024) requires a board-approved Climate Action Plan; for a multi-campus group corp of this scale, solar PV is the single most defensible lead intervention available — auditable, photographable, photographically evidenced across multiple campuses simultaneously.
Solar opportunity assessment
Inner-South London electricity tariffs above national average. Estimated 900 kW - 1.2 MW PV potential. GLA decarbonisation grant + Salix stack.
Total available roof area across the portfolio: 12,000+ sqm across the portfolio. At a typical 75% utilisation rate (after exclusions for plant, rooflights, shading, wayleaves), this gives a portfolio PV ceiling consistent with the estimated capacity stated above.
Funding stack for South Thames Colleges Group
The optimal funding structure for a group corp portfolio programme of this scale typically combines:
- Salix Decarbonisation Loan — single portfolio bid covering all campuses
- PSDS Phase 4 capital grant — typically paired with air-source heat pump or building fabric on the largest campuses
- MCA decarbonisation grants — applicable per campus based on the relevant devolved authority
- FE Capital Transformation Fund — embedded sustainability inside major estate transformation
Sub-vertical mix at South Thames Colleges Group
The South Thames Colleges Group portfolio includes:
- General FE college solar — typical 200-600 kW per campus
- Sixth form college solar — typical 150-400 kW per campus