An academy within the Greater Manchester Education Trust, Whalley Range 11–18 High School is a large and diverse girls’ secondary school serving the Whalley Range community in Manchester.
In June 2025, Whalley Range was chosen, along with 68 other schools, to participate in the Great British Energy Solar Partnership (GBESP), a national programme supporting schools and colleges on their journey towards net zero. Through this initiative, the school receives practical guidance to cut energy use and carbon emissions.
Following a comprehensive assessment, the site was confirmed as suitable for the installation of solar PV, with successful funding approval from LocatED and the Department for Education (DfE).
The GBESP programme required all installations to be completed by the end of February 2026 to meet funding requirements.
Although Barker has significant experience delivering solar PV projects during term time, successfully completing the works at Whalley Range during the busy Autumn term required detailed planning within a live school environment.
The installation was completed in mid-November 2025. The proactive collaboration between the school and the Trust enabled the project team to carry out the installation safely and efficiently, with minimal disruption to learning.
Whalley Range High School is now proudly generating its own clean, renewable energy on site through a 128.26kWp solar PV system, which is set to cut carbon emissions by ~21 tonnes every year – the equivalent of planting 970 trees.
From mid November 2025 to January 2026, the system produced over 3MWh of electricity, supplying around 5% of the school’s total energy demand.
Electricity costs are forecast to drop by around 13%, delivering annual savings of approximately £27k – funds that can be channelled straight back into enriching students’ experiences.
