The Mercian Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust comprising nine schools and 10,000 students in Walsall and Sandwell. The client engaged Barker to develop a Decarbonisation Strategy aimed at reducing the Trust’s energy consumption and energy costs across their nine schools. As part of the decarbonisation strategy, Solar PV installations were identified for three schools.
After developing the Trust’s Decarbonisation Strategy, Barker was subsequently appointed by the client to implement Solar PV Installations at three school sites: Aldridge School, Queen Mary’s Grammar School, and Shire Oak Academy. This ambitious programme was to be completed within just five weeks, utilising the Trust’s dedicated funds.
Managing the budget and adhering to restricted timeframes were the greatest challenges Barker had to successfully overcome. Despite delays at the Tender Stage, the team swiftly proceeded to complete installations at all three sites within the five-week period over the summer holidays. Recognising that the work could not extend beyond the summer break, the team leveraged the proximity of each school site to facilitate a fast-paced approach to this complex project.
The installation of 1,219 panels across the three sites was successfully completed within the designated timeframes. The designs and project costs were quickly adapted with minimal disruption to the programme of works and budget. The PV project has resulted in a combined generation of 550 kWp, a lifetime carbon saving of 2,155 tonnes, and a total return on investment of 705% for the Trust. Thereby supporting the trust’s overall decarbonisation goals.
“Barker Associates were appointed to project manage the tender process and delivery of a large-scale solar PV installation across three Trust schools during a time limited summer holiday period. The appointed team were knowledgeable and professional throughout. Tailored designs fit our energy needs and budget perfectly and thanks to their hard work, the Trust is seeing significant cost savings and making great progress toward our sustainability goals.”
Howard Kay, Head of Estates