- Category
- Greater Manchester FE group
- Location
- Greater Manchester
- DNO
- Electricity North West (ENW)
- Est. PV capacity
- 2.0-2.5 MW
About LTE Group (The Manchester College, UCEN Manchester, MOL, Total People)
LTE Group includes The Manchester College plus UCEN Manchester (HE-in-FE), MOL (apprenticeship training), Total People (apprenticeship). Largest FE provider in Greater Manchester. Group sustainability lead in post.
The estate at LTE Group
The Manchester College: Northenden, Openshaw, Harpurhey, City Centre (Shena Simon), Wythenshawe, Nicholls. Combined building footprint ~26,000 sqm. Mixed-age estate from 1960s teaching blocks to 2018 City Campus Manchester (new build).
From a solar PV perspective this delivers 2.0-2.5 MW across the Greater Manchester portfolio. With 950 kW of daytime baseload typical, self-consumption stays around 70% — strong for the sector. The DNO for LTE Group is Electricity North West (ENW).
Curriculum integration
T-Level Construction, Engineering, Digital, Building Services Engineering delivered across campuses. Live-generation data integrates directly with T-Level Green Skills requirements.
Funding stack for LTE Group
Single portfolio Salix bid covering all Manchester College campuses. GMCA Public Sector Decarbonisation Pot accessible across all 6 sites. PSDS Phase 4 bundled bid for largest campuses. Estimated portfolio capex £1.8m-£2.2m.
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 2250 kW programme at LTE Group, modelled economics assuming standard portfolio-scale unit cost (£800/kW installed at this scale):
- Capital cost: approximately £1,800,000
- Annual generation: approximately 2,887,650 kWh
- Annual energy savings: approximately £574,642 (at typical FE blended tariff)
- Salix-funded payback: approximately 3.1 years
- 25-year nominal benefit: approximately £12,566,050
These are scoping figures — a precise feasibility report requires 12 months of LTE Group's half-hourly meter data. See our interactive payback calculator to adjust the assumptions for your specific scenario.