Support a school

Is it safe?

Investing in solar panels on your local school with the Solar for Schools CBS is not as risk-free as leaving your money in a bank account. On the other hand, leaving your money in a bank account is not going to help solve climate change or enable your local school to ‘go solar’. So we work hard to try to make investing in renewable solar energy on schools as low-risk as possible.

We reduce the main risks through:

1. Diversification: The CBS already owns about 10MW of solar projects across over 100 schools and is adding more every month. So although your investment may support your local school, if that school closes or that project under-performs, your investment is in the CBS as a whole. This spreads your risk and provides protection against a single project, or even various projects from failing. The more schools we have the lower the risk.

2. System monitoring and track record: Each solar system is fitted with remote data monitoring equipment, that sends live generation data back to SOFS’ servers. Underperformance and faults can be dealt with quickly.

3. Regulatory oversight: The CBS is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, and although the FCA does not regulate the CBS’s activities as it is not an investment driven by financial returns, we must submit an Annual Return (AR30) to them including independently audited accounts. These are reviewed by the independent directors, shared at the AGM each year and are available on the CBS website.


4. Professional management: Each system is developed and then monitored daily by SOFS. SOFS manages over 200 solar systems - carrying out inspections, education visits and repairs, as well as sorting insurance and electricity export contracts for the CBS and other schools in asset management. SOFS receives a fee for these services that is linked to its performance.