We offer interest-free loans to help county‑maintained schools invest in proven energy‑saving measures. This means you can improve your buildings without upfront costs.
What you can fund
You can use the loan for well‑tested technologies that reduce energy use and carbon emissions, including:
- solar photovoltaic (PV) panels
- LED lighting upgrades
- battery storage systems
Support from our ACES team
Our ACES team is our energy support service. They work with you from start to finish to make sure your project is strong, affordable and delivered well.
How we support you
We will help you with:
- Choosing the right solutions
We match technologies to your school’s energy use and needs. - Technical guidance and checks
We review designs and specifications so they meet best practice and our standards. - Quote review
We check supplier quotes for accuracy, value for money and realistic savings. - Buying and choosing contractors
We support you to select reliable, high‑quality suppliers. - Project delivery
We give guidance from application through to installation. - Monitoring and checks
We help make sure systems perform as expected and savings are achieved. - Ongoing support
We keep in touch to help your project stay on track.
Register your interest
To ask for an application pack, complete our short online form.
Why install energy‑saving measures?
Improving the energy efficiency of your school can bring long‑term benefits:
- lower energy bills and protection from rising prices
- reduced carbon emissions and progress towards net zero
- better building performance and longer asset life
- improved comfort for staff and pupils
- clean energy generated on site
- learning opportunities linked to sustainability and climate action
Solar PV lets you generate and use clean energy at your school. LED lighting uses much less energy and lasts longer than older lighting.
Join other schools
Whitchurch Primary School, Sonning Common Primary School and Nettlebed Community School have already used the interest‑free loan scheme. They have installed solar PV and LED lighting and are seeing the benefits.
By joining the programme, your school becomes part of a growing network taking action on sustainability.
Current loan applications
If you are thinking about applying, or already have a project underway, our ACES team is here to help. Email ACES@caesl.co.uk.