A Decade On: The Net-Zero Blueprint and Lessons from a Trailblazing UK School Project

Ten years ago, Henry Waite, founder of Blue Marble Environmental Partnerships, pioneered a ground-breaking renewable energy project in the UK. While working with Conergy UK, Henry identified an exciting opportunity. This was to match the energy consumption of St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School, with his plans for the development of a solar farm nearby. This innovative partnership therefore established the first UK arrangement to deliver zero-carbon electricity directly to a school.

Energy and cost savings

The impact has been transformative. The project saved the school £26,000 on energy costs in its first year. These savings have then risen considerably and underpin the school’s net-zero ambition. But the benefits go beyond financial and environmental gains—this project has become a valuable educational resource.

St Richard Gwyn has further embedded the solar farm and its sustainability journey into its curriculum, using it as a practical learning tool to inspire the next generation of green thinkers. Students explore topics such as renewable energy, carbon reduction, which are real-world examples to the Department for Education’s (DfE) Green Skills Pillar.

Supporting the Department for Education’s net-zero initiatives

Blue Marble takes great pride in its involvement with the current DfE’s net-zero initiatives and is thrilled to see the principles of its early projects embraced within the education sector. Reflecting on this journey, Henry Waite shared, “When we launched this project, I was immensely proud to pioneer the first arrangement of its kind in the UK. Today, as the founder of Blue Marble, I’m even more proud to carry forward its values, applying these lessons to benefit our clients. The education sector remains a key area of focus and expertise for us, and we have exciting plans to help deliver more projects of this nature’.

By incorporating renewable energy into the curriculum, St Richard Gwyn is actively developing students’ understanding of green skills—one of the critical pillars of the DfE’s sustainability and climate strategy. This hands-on approach helps young people prepare for a future where sustainability plays an essential role in the economy and workforce.

Blue Marble’s renewable energy projects

Blue Marble is at the forefront of delivering initiatives that align with the DfE’s net-zero strategy. The company focus is to develop solutions that combine cost savings with carbon reductions—a winning formula for the sector navigating tight budgets. Projects like St Richard Gwyn’s demonstrate that achieving net-zero goals need not be prohibitively expensive. Instead, they can unlock new opportunities for learning and innovation. While also protecting the bottom line and future proofing institutions by gaining cost certainty and energy security over their energy supply.

To read more about St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School’s journey, visit Wales Online.

Blue Marble continues its work with Multi Academy Trusts across the country and in support of various DfE initiatives. Projects like this underscore the potential for education to lead the way in the green economy—proving that the vision from a decade ago is still shaping the future today.