- Category
- North Wales multi-site FE
- Location
- Wrexham, Deeside, Denbighshire
- DNO
- SP Manweb
- Est. PV capacity
- 1.5-2 MW
About Coleg Cambria
Largest FE provider in North Wales. Welsh Government Net Zero Wales 2030 public sector target applies. Welsh Government Energy Service for Colleges provides technical and bid support not available to English colleges.
The estate at Coleg Cambria
5-campus portfolio: Yale (Wrexham), Deeside, Llysfasi (Denbighshire land-based), Northop, Yale community sites. Llysfasi has 525-hectare working farm estate.
From a solar PV perspective this delivers 1.5-2 MW including Llysfasi agricultural estate. With 540 kW of daytime baseload typical, self-consumption stays around 72% — strong for the sector. The DNO for Coleg Cambria is SP Manweb.
Curriculum integration
T-Level Agriculture (Llysfasi), Welsh-medium delivery, BSc Agriculture (HE-in-FE), apprenticeships across all sites. Welsh language signage and curriculum requirements integrated.
Funding stack for Coleg Cambria
Welsh Government Energy Service feasibility funding + Salix Decarbonisation Loan + Welsh Government Net Zero Wales Public Sector Capital + North Wales Growth Deal decarbonisation. Estimated portfolio capex £1.3m-£1.7m.
Detailed funding-route deep-dives:
- Salix Decarbonisation Loan — interest-free up to £600k per project
- PSDS Phase 4 capital grant — 100% grant for bundled bids
- FE Capital Transformation Fund — embedded sustainability in major refurb
- MCA decarbonisation grants — devolved regional funding
Estimated economics
For a 1750 kW programme at Coleg Cambria, modelled economics assuming standard portfolio-scale unit cost (£800/kW installed at this scale):
- Capital cost: approximately £1,400,000
- Annual generation: approximately 2,334,500 kWh
- Annual energy savings: approximately £472,502 (at typical FE blended tariff)
- Salix-funded payback: approximately 3.0 years
- 25-year nominal benefit: approximately £10,412,550
These are scoping figures — a precise feasibility report requires 12 months of Coleg Cambria's half-hourly meter data. See our interactive payback calculator to adjust the assumptions for your specific scenario.