Student App set to deliver lower carbon future

Press Release – Solar for Schools App wins Innovate UK grant

Students calling for action against climate change will have access to an App that will help them in the fight to deliver a lower carbon future in the UK.

The App is being developed by Solar Options for Schools, which won funding this week (4 November 2020) from UK Innovate in the latest round of the £10 million Sustainable Innovation Fund. The fund is intended to help the UK rebuild after the effects of COVID-19.

The Solar for Schools App will deliver an innovative interactive App, which will enable secondary students to learn about energy, electricity, and climate. It will offer learning to all students, irrespective of their social-economic status, being accessible on both android and apple phones.

Its approach is to deliver education in a project-based way that encourages students to learn, act, share and explore subjects in a way that works for them. Using the geo-location technologies, The Solar for Schools App will give students personalised place-based opportunities to investigate their surroundings. It will incentivise them to learn more through practical tasks that could ultimately put solar panels on their school roofs.

Solar for Schools education lead and award-winning secondary science teacher Wendy Litherland at St Christopher’s High School, Accrington, said: “I have worked in education for sustainable development for over 10 years.  This App is unique offering teachers an innovative teaching resource that delivers curriculum learning but in a project-based way.”

She added: “It could be used in the classroom but more importantly as students find themselves working at home during the current time, it can be used out-of-school by anyone with a mobile phone and that means students’ learning can continue to develop outside the classroom.”

Innovate UK Executive Chair Dr Ian Campbell said: “In these difficult times we have seen the best of British business innovation. The pandemic is not just a health emergency but one that impacts society and the economy.

“Solar for Schools, along with every initiative Innovate UK has supported through this fund, is an important step forward in driving sustainable economic development.”

The Solar for Schools App is currently under development and initial testing will be carried out with students in the early part of next year. A final version is expected to ready for release in June 2021.

For more information

Please contact:

01284 530020

Sarah Finder: Project Manager: sarah@solarforschools.co.uk

Note for Editors:

About Solar Options for Schools Ltd.: Solar for Schools is a social impact company that helps schools find the best route for them to have a solar panel installation. Working with the Solar for Schools Community Benefit Society, it has helped develop over 4 MW of solar on schools across England in the past 5 years.

Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £191 million to fund single and collaborative research and development projects as part of the Sustainable Innovation Fund over the next two years. The aim of these competitions is to help all sectors of the UK rebuild after the effects of COVID-19. The Sustainable Innovation Fund is funding 1,103 projects, 1069 UK businesses and totalling over £130 million in support across the UK.

For more information visit www.innovateuk.ukri.org

 

NOTE: Sussex Green Living and Solar for Schools are looking for schools wanting solar!

Shannon from Solar for Schools spoke at our Horsham Climate Cafe on Saturday 16th May about their work, we are working with them to find West Sussex schools who would like solar and will benefit from cheaper electricity. Small schools may be more viable if a cluster of local schools can have solar installed at the same, benefiting from the economies of scale. You can see her PowerPoint Presentation here. If you know a school who might be interested in investigating solar contact shannon@solarforschools.co.uk or phone 07710483123.

 

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