Work has got under way on a rooftop solar scheme at Stonyhurst College in Lancashire, with the project being run by Ribchester-based renewable energy consultancy Green Shield Group.
The system will have a capacity of 439.2 kWp and is forecast to produce 397,157 kWh of electricity each year, cutting an estimated 55.6 tonnes of CO2e, the company said. The aim is to let the independent Catholic school generate more of its own power and buy less from the grid, trimming its energy costs in the process.
Panels are going on the Grade II* listed South Front and part of the Grade I listed Old Quadrangle, as well as on the roofs of the Refectory, the pool building and St Mary's Sports Hall. Stonyhurst and its preparatory school, St Mary's Hall, together teach 680 pupils between the ages of three and 18, with close to 400 of them boarding.
Green Shield Group, which specialises in helping organisations design and install their own solar and battery storage systems, acted as lead consultant on the scheme. That role covered the surveys and the application to Ribble Valley Borough Council. On 17 April 2026 the council granted planning permission and listed building consent, and Historic England raised no heritage objection after it was sent more detail on roof loading and where the electrical equipment would go.
Funding for the installation is coming from AMPYR Distributed Energy, with one power purchase agreement covering the solar work across every building involved. A broader package linked to the scheme also features four electric vehicle charge points, though it is the solar installation itself that is due to be commissioned in early 2027.
Balancing heritage and hardware
Alex Palffy, lead engineer at Green Shield Group, described the job as "a wonderful brief to be given, and a demanding one." He said the team needed to prove the old roofs were strong enough for the added load, tuck panels behind parapets where possible, plan the cabling and equipment, and take account of wildlife and possible glare, alongside a SolarEdge system with an emergency shutdown function.
Paul Sharples, commercial director at Stonyhurst College, said: "Generating more of our own electricity will help us manage our energy costs and cut our carbon footprint." He said the college needed a design that suited roofs of very different ages while protecting its buildings and collections, and that Green Shield had worked through issues around loading, visibility and fire safety and organised the surveys needed to secure planning consent.
This story is based on information sent to Small Cap News by Green Shield Group on 12 November 2026. See also: Green business and how to send us your news.
Image: Supplied by Green Shield Group