Butterfly Eco’s Eco Schools programme helps schools access renewable energy without capital investment, loans or lease agreements.
Through our trusted funding partners, qualifying schools can benefit from fully funded Solar as a Service, allowing them to reduce energy costs immediately while supporting their sustainability objectives.
The solar system is designed, funded, installed, owned and maintained throughout the agreement, removing the financial and operational burden usually associated with solar projects.
But Eco Schools is about far more than generating electricity.
The programme transforms a solar installation into a live educational resource, giving students the opportunity to engage with sustainability through real-world data and practical learning experiences.
Participating schools can benefit from SolarFox display screens, school-specific sustainability dashboards, live energy data for STEM lessons, student assemblies, classroom sessions and educational project walkthroughs.
By combining funded renewable energy with meaningful educational engagement, Eco Schools enables schools to lower operating costs, reduce carbon emissions and create inspiring learning opportunities for students.
Every school is different. Energy consumption, building ownership, budget constraints and procurement requirements all vary from site to site.
That’s why Butterfly Eco works with a panel of trusted funding partners to match the most appropriate funding solution to each school.
Whether your priority is preserving capital, achieving immediate savings, retaining ownership of the asset or removing operational responsibility, we can help identify the right route forward.
For many schools, Solar as a Service is the simplest and most attractive option.
Also known as “fully funded solar” or “free solar”, this model allows schools to benefit from solar energy without any capital investment, loans, leases or finance agreements.
The solar system is designed, funded, installed, owned and maintained by the funding provider throughout the contract term.
Your school simply purchases the electricity generated by the solar system at a discounted rate, typically 30-40% below grid electricity prices.
Key benefits include:
The contract is for the supply of energy services rather than the purchase of equipment. The first cost incurred is the first monthly electricity charge, after the system has been installed and commissioned.
Schools wishing to own the solar system can spread the cost through a simple asset finance agreement.
This allows schools to install solar with little or no upfront investment while retaining ownership of the equipment and benefiting from all energy savings generated.
For schools with available capital budgets, outright purchase delivers the highest long-term financial return and the shortest payback period.
Butterfly Eco can provide a full feasibility study, funding appraisal and business case to support investment decisions.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Our team will review your school’s energy consumption, building suitability, ownership structure and financial objectives before recommending the most appropriate funding route.
The result is a solar solution tailored to your school, delivering maximum savings with minimum risk.
Every Eco Schools installation includes live sustainability display screens positioned in reception areas and communal spaces throughout the school.
The displays show real-time data from the solar installation, allowing students, staff, parents and visitors to see the school’s environmental performance every day.
This includes live solar generation, carbon savings, environmental impact and energy performance, turning the solar system from hidden infrastructure into a visible learning resource.
For teachers, the data provides real-world content that can be used within STEM, science, geography and sustainability lessons.
By making sustainability visible, measurable and accessible, Eco Schools helps inspire pupils while demonstrating the school’s commitment to environmental responsibility
