Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high - risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more

Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high - risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more

Solar for Schools

Renewable Energy - Bonds

100% raised
Up to 6.5%

Forecast
return

Investors
187
Hours left
0
Raised so far
£799,500

Solar for Schools CBS Ltd. is a community benefit society for schools. It is focused on tackling climate change by funding solar panels and providing energy education. This is decarbonisation, powered by the sun.

IFISA
Clean energy

Target
£800,000
Min raise
£250,000
Offer opened
13/09/2023
Closing date
15/12/2023
cycling race illustration

Solar for Schools CBS Limited
Society no. 7364
Essex, UK
Incorporation date: 08 July 2016

Your money will

  • Take action to fight climate change by funding solar panel installations on UK schools

  • Help educate the next generation about the importance of sustainable energy production

  • Save schools money on energy bills by generating their own clean energy, cheaper than mains electricity 

  • Earn a potential tax-free return. Your investment will target 0.5% above BOE rates (up to a maximum of 6.5%)*

The bigger picture

Installing solar on schools has multiple benefits. Besides generating cleaner energy, students get to experience solar power firsthand with real-time data feeds, inspiring them to take positive environmental action. 

  • Solar for Schools CBS’ long-term goal is to see every school in the UK equipped with solar panels delivering sustainability education for all pupils
  • To date, Solar for Schools CBS has generated over 18,169 MWh of solar electricity. That’s enough to charge over 300,000 e-vehicles (60 kWh per charge), mitigating about 3,600 metric tonnes of CO₂.
  • Solar for Schools CBS has provided energy education to over 50,000 pupils, giving valuable insights into the future of renewable energy generation and inspiring young people to join the fight against climate change.
  • There are over 90 schools waiting to go solar that Solar for Schools CBS are working with and more are joining each week

  • *IFISA eligibility depends on investors' individual tax status and current legislation. BOE rate is currently 5.25%, so investors will receive 5.75% in the first year and 0.5% above BOE rates on 1st November each year thereafter.

Where your money goes

Solar for Schools will use funds from the investment to design and install new solar energy systems on UK schools that are currently on their growing waiting list.

  • Every £1 million raised in investment will fund new solar systems on 10-15 UK schools .
  • The schools receiving solar panels will save money on their energy bills, on average £150,000 - £350,000 in electricity costs over the next 25 to 30 years.
  • On-site clean energy generation will help increase the UK’s energy independence.
  • All schools will receive decarbonisation education support, including engaging on-site workshops, online graphs and data from the panels that are linked to maths and physics lessons. 

Team

Solar for Schools CBS Ltd. is a community benefit society for schools. It is focused on tackling climate change by funding solar panels and providing energy education.  This is decarbonisation, powered by the sun.

http://cbs.solarforschools.co.uk/


Wendy Litherland

Director

15 years’ experience leading sustainability initiatives in secondary schools.
Local Eco Cluster Group co-ordinator. Co-facilitates the UKs largest children's environmental conference: NW Eco Schools.
Winner of multiple sustainability education awards including the Climate Week Awards, the SSAT national sustainable schools award and the Department of Education Sustainability Award in 2021.
Co-author of the learning journeys in the Solar for Schools mobile app for students and teachers.
BSc (hons) in Physiology from the University of Manchester, a PGCE MA (Education) and NPQS

Robert Schrimpff

Director

10 years’ experience in founding and building online businesses such as netXtra and hotels.com followed by nine years’ experience investing in renewable energy technology companies at TVM Capital and Greencoat Capital before setting up Solar Options for Schools to deliver “carbon and energy education powered by the sun”
M.Eng in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College London. MBA in Entrepreneurship and Finance from INSEAD

Ann Flaherty

Director

Over 12 years’ experience in solar development on schools using a variety of funding models and has helped set up three solar businesses in the schools market. Worked in education for sustainable development for over 15 years.
Co-creator and developer of an educational platform for HRH Prince Charles’ Rainforests SOS campaign, and for the HISTORY’s channel: The People Speak, led by Colin Firth.
Previous experience in journalism, media and brand marketing.

Peter Roberts

Director

25 years’ experience in the education sector overseeing the design and contract management of new schools and capital programmes and ensuring project delivery to specifications and budget. Has always been an advocate of sustainable construction and estates strategies.
Has been working with the DfE for the last 10 years as consultant project manager and technical advisor in the Free Schools programme and latterly the new further education estates initiative.

Sian Herschel

Director

Fifteen years of professional experience in grant making and investing for organisations such as Fairtrade, Comic Relief, Power to Change and the Churchill Fellowship.
Areas of expertise include social enterprise, ethical trade, strategy development and impact measurement.
Sian has lived and worked in the USA, Peru, South Africa, India and Germany as well as the UK.
MBA from the University of Cambridge and executive coaching accreditation from Henley Business School.

Julian Leslie

Director

Responsible for identifying future GB transmission network requirements and recommending the best economic option. Also for granting system access (connections) to future generation and managing that access for transmission owners, existing generation, DNOs and demand sites while ensuring GB transmission is operable into the future.
A governor at his local school, he is keen to educate the next generation about the challenges of managing intermittent energy sources.
B.Eng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Liverpool University) and Fellow Member of the IET.

Marino Charalambous

Director

Oversees five schools in North London at the North Star Community Trust, all of which have solar panels managed by Solar for Schools.
Introduced sustainability as part of the Trust curriculum in 2016 and has developed a Trust wide learning culture with the future in mind. Previous experience in finance and project management at HSBC and Siemens Financial Services as well 15 years at Managing Director level experience in digital marketing consultancies and other businesses.
B.Hons Business and Marketing Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
NPQ in Executive Leadership (University College London)

Nathan Odom

Director

More than 13 years’ experience in the education sector, 10 of which have been with a large local authority working with its schools and academies.
A project manager delivering various capital build projects and expansion plans for schools across Leicestershire.
Currently, the strategic lead for DSAT’s capital strategy for school site improvements with a focus on improving the physical learning environment to support the delivery of high-quality education, ensuring school sites are safe and compliant.

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Interest accrual and payment

Interest will accrue from the Interest Start Date (1 month after drawdown) and interest payments will be made annually on the 31st of October each year and paid to your account in the following month. 

Interest will be at a rate of 0.5% above Bank of England rates as of the 1st of November each year and that rate will apply for the following 12 months (there is a cap of 6.5% on the interest rate paid on these bonds). 

Getting your money out

The Bonds are transferable, but won’t be listed on any exchange because a request can be made for early re-payment (there is a minimum 1-year initial term). Bondholders may request early re-payment by notifying the CBS with at least 3 months’ notice. The CBS will deal with all requests in order of receipt and pay as many as it can subject to available funds and Directors’ discretion. The CBS is under no obligation to re-pay early.

Investing on behalf of children

Applicants must be 18 years old or more. Investments cannot be made on behalf of children.

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