Oasis Academy John Williams is visited by the Bristol Mayor following the installation of 408 solar panels

A Bristol secondary school is set to go green after recently having 408 solar panels fitted to the roof which will produce free electricity, help the environment and is supporting the Bristol One City Plan of becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030.

Bristol’s One City approach brings together a huge range of public, private, voluntary and third sector partners in the city. Their collective aim is to make Bristol a fair, healthy, and sustainable city. To deliver on these ambitions they have created the One City plan, and the One City Climate Strategy as a framework and a call to action for Bristol businesses and organisations to decarbonise by 2030.

Oasis Academy John Williams, situated on Petherton Road in Hengrove, Bristol and part of one of the largest multi-academy trusts in England, Oasis Community Learning are now one step closer to becoming a net zero organisation.

Oasis Community Learning has partnered with Eden Sustainable to add solar panels across an initial 14 school sites, which started at Oasis Academy Connaught and Oasis Academy New Oak, also both in Bristol, last month.

Over a 25-year period, Oasis Academy John Williams will save a total of 774 carbon tonnes with a financial saving over the same phase totalling £353,630.

As Oasis gets closer to reaching their target of becoming a net zero educational organisation by 2030, there are many benefits to schools having solar power. These include supporting the global climate change agenda, reducing the carbon footprint in the communities where they work, providing an excellent curriculum resource for students of any age, and impressive financial benefits.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, commented saying; “I welcome Oasis taking leadership on decarbonising their schools, and their commitment to net zero by 2030. This is good news for Bristol, good news for the students, good news for the school’s finances and good for the planet."

"Over the last three years, we have been working to support local schools to cut carbon through our own Schools Energy Efficiency Scheme. This has resulted in £1.3 million being invested in 30 schools, saving 6,320 tonnes of carbon over the next 10 years. This scheme will be expanded in the near future to cover decarbonisation projects, with support services available for all schools to transform their energy infrastructure."

“Bristol’s young people have been instrumental in championing the environment. So, it’s great to see that translating into action by educational organisations like Oasis, improving school environments whilst delivering interventions that will address the climate crisis. I am confident others will be inspired by Oasis’s initiative, and together with Bristol’s One City approach to tackling climate change, we can reduce carbon emissions to help prevent the worst effects of the climate and ecological emergencies.”

Steve Chalke, Founder & Leader of Oasis Charitable Trust, said; “Tackling the climate emergency agenda is central to Oasis’ overall mission of building safe and healthy local communities where everyone can thrive. More than that, as educationalists, delivering a learning experience to our students that both equips them to be world citizens as well as addressing the issues that they are passionate about is central to our responsibility.”

“That’s why Oasis – and the young people who make up our school communities – are so pleased to partner with Bristol in the One City Plan, and particularly to be working together on the One City Climate Strategy.”

It doesn’t end there, the multi-academy trust recently also switched 41 of its academies to SmartestEnergy’s renewable electricity product, that’s 80% of its schools. Under the two-year supply agreement, SmartestEnergy supplies 100% renewable electricity to Oasis Community Learning at their contracted sites.

Scott Burrows, Director at Eden Sustainable, added; “We are over the moon to be working with Oasis Community Learning on this flagship scheme. They have truly embraced their responsibility in this era of a climate emergency by not only rolling out solar across their estate, but by also employing measures to disseminate the message to the students and community. Whether a school, business, or government we must all make similar decisions and encourage others to do the same.”