- Category
- Multi-region FE group
- Location
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- DNO
- Multiple — NPg (Newcastle, Carlisle), UKPN (Lewisham, Southwark), ENW (Trafford), NGED (Kidderminster), SPM (West Lancashire)
- Est. PV capacity
- 2.5-3 MW
About NCG (Newcastle College Group)
Largest multi-region FE corporation in the UK by campus count. Group Sustainability Strategy 2024-30 committed to scope-2 net zero by 2030 with rooftop solar as headline intervention. Distinctive: campuses sit inside 5 different DNO territories.
The estate at NCG
7-campus portfolio: Newcastle College (Rye Hill, Parsons, Sandyford, Carliol Square), Lewisham Southwark, West Lancashire, Carlisle, Kidderminster, Trafford, plus NCG National Online. Combined ~28,000 sqm building footprint.
From a solar PV perspective this delivers 2.5-3 MW total across the multi-region portfolio. With 1100 kW of daytime baseload typical, self-consumption stays around 68% — strong for the sector. The DNO for NCG is Multiple — NPg (Newcastle, Carlisle), UKPN (Lewisham, Southwark), ENW (Trafford), NGED (Kidderminster), SPM (West Lancashire).
Curriculum integration
T-Level Construction, T-Level Building Services Engineering, T-Level Engineering across multiple campuses. Cross-region curriculum coordination already established — single sustainability programme can roll out to all sites.
Funding stack for NCG
Single portfolio Salix Decarbonisation Loan application supported by Salix. PSDS Phase 4 bundled bid for largest 2-3 campuses. Multiple MCA grants accessible per campus (NECA, WMCA, GLA, GMCA). Estimated portfolio capex £2.1m-£2.6m.
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
- AoC Climate Action Roadmap — board-approved Climate Action Plan compliance pathway
- ONS reclassification — what it unlocked for FE colleges — the November 2022 policy change that unlocked Salix + PSDS for FE
- Solar payback calculator for NCG (Newcastle College Group) colleges — model the specific NCG (Newcastle College Group) scenario
Estimated economics
For a 2750 kW programme at NCG, modelled economics assuming standard portfolio-scale unit cost (£800/kW installed at this scale):
- Capital cost: approximately £2,200,000
- Annual generation: approximately 3,491,400 kWh
- Annual energy savings: approximately £682,917 (at typical FE blended tariff)
- Salix-funded payback: approximately 3.2 years
- 25-year nominal benefit: approximately £14,872,925
These are scoping figures — a precise feasibility report requires 12 months of NCG's half-hourly meter data. See our interactive payback calculator to adjust the assumptions for your specific scenario.