BAM Energy, BAM FM’s energy division, has funded the installation of a 140.25 kWp PV system at the new Three Rivers Academy in Surrey, which is currently being built by BAM Construction. The agreement has released a significant sum from the construction budget that the client can spend on other critical areas of the build. 

The cost of installing and operating the PVs is recovered through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) – a separate contract to the construction contract, by which the customer (The Howard Partnership Trust) agrees to buy power generated by the PVs through BAM Energy for the next 20 years.

The PPA underwent scrutiny by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), which had to ratify and approve the agreement.

“The benefit to the customer is two-fold,” explains Reid Cunningham, Director – BAM Energy. “They meet the renewable energy target but save on the upfront capital costs by buying the power that the PVs supply from their normal operating costs – and the fixed unit cost is competitive against grid power costs.”

Once renewable energy incentives (Feed-in Tariffs) have been taken into consideration, the price of electricity per kWh from BAM Energy is comparable with what the school would pay if it purchased it from the grid.

During its first year, the system is estimated to save 62,670 kg of carbon and will produce 115,840 kWh of electricity. The installation of the PVs was carried out by Photon and is now complete, with the overall construction project scheduled for completion at the end of this year. The 16,000 m2 school will accommodate 1,878 students aged 11 to 18 years old.

Since its establishment in February 2016, BAM Energy has completed PV installations at three BAM Construction projects including Ruth Gorse Academy in Leeds and Sunderland College. This latest project is its largest installation so far. The company is also targeting other renewable energy projects including biomass and heat pump projects, and also energy reduction projects including LED lighting replacement installations throughout the UK.