Created: 22nd April, 2026
Tom joined Barker in 2020. He is a Partner based in our London office. Tom has over 15 years of experience in the built environment offering strategic and technical advice to a wide variety of clients across the UK.
Highly experienced in strategic estates advisory services, project management, estates planning, decarbonisation, net carbon zero strategy and funding solutions.
Tom’s key focus is to support Barker’s clients as they transform their estates and decarbonise. He works across the education and public sectors and advises a number of sector bodies on estates management and energy reduction best practice.
By the end of March 2026, the Barker team successfully delivered the rapid roll out of solar panels at 74 schools across the country under the GB Energy Solar Partnership (GBESP).
These projects have been delivered at scale and at pace in a 5-month period, showing what can be achieved through careful stakeholder engagement and proactive programme management. The programme, procured as a collective batch, has also achieved some considerable cost efficiencies with a 25% reduction on standalone single site installation costs.
However, this is more than just about technology and capital investment. The most powerful outcome of the GB Energy Solar Partnership (GBESP) is the social value it delivers. It is enabling 74 schools across the UK to redirect vital funding back into teaching and strengthen their role as sustainability leaders in their communities, and it is equipping young people with the green skills needed for a low‑carbon future.
By installing solar panels across schools in the North East, South East and South West, GBESP is helping dozens of education settings reduce their energy bills, cut carbon emissions, and model positive climate action to the next generation.
The long‑term financial savings – estimated at more than £2.1 million – will be reinvested directly into teaching budgets, providing a meaningful boost in a sector facing significant fiscal pressures.
This social impact sits at the core of the GBESP, a UK government–backed programme accelerating solar installation on schools and NHS sites as part of the wider Great British Energy initiative. Barker, appointed by LocatED as a delivery partner in July 2025, has delivered 10,295 kWp of installed capacity through approximately 20,000 panels during this phase alone.
Collectively, these systems are expected to:
Several standout installations demonstrate the scale of the programme, including a 387 kWp array with battery storage at The Albion Academy in Salford, a 494 kWp system at Woodchurch High School in Birkenhead, and Barker’s largest array to date – a 631 kWp installation at Tameside College in Ashton‑under‑Lyne. Each site is set to save tens of thousands of pounds annually.
All solar systems delivered under the GBESP will be fully operational by the end of April 2026, marking a significant milestone in the UK’s transition to clean, home‑grown energy and public sector decarbonisation.
