Updated: 22nd July, 2026
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 had successfully delivered the rapid rollout of solar panels at 74 schools across the country under the GB Energy Solar Partnership (GBESP). These projects were 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, also achieved some considerable cost efficiencies with a 25% reduction on standalone single-site installation costs.
As of July of the same year, Barker has supported the delivery of solar PV installations across a total of 82 schools. Together, these installations have:
Beyond this programme, Barker has now supported the implementation of solar PV across more than 450 schools, and these installations are expected to:
Between May and September, the installations collectively generate approximately one million kWh of renewable electricity each week.
This work is more than just about technology and capital investment, however. The most powerful outcome of the GB Energy Solar Partnership (GBESP) is the social value it delivers.
It is enabling 82 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 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 11,664kWp of installed capacity through approximately 23,500 panels during this phase alone.
Collectively, these systems are expected to:
Generate around 11.1 GW of electricity per year, reducing reliance on the National Grid
Cut carbon emissions by more than 2,042 tonnes of CO₂e
Deliver substantial long‑term cost savings for participating schools
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 a particularly large 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 mark a significant milestone in the UK’s transition to clean, home‑grown energy and public sector decarbonisation.
