Suffolk councils plan to spend £3.7million to add solar panels to 32 schools in the county, which they hope will generate millions in savings and reduce emissions. 

The Suffolk Public Sector Leaders gathering of council, health, and police bosses will meet on Friday to discuss the climate emergency strategy for the county. 

The group, chaired by Ipswich Borough Council leader Cllr Neil MacDonald, will discuss the possibility of funding the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of 32 Suffolk high schools to lower their carbon footprint and electricity bills.

The proposed agreement will be in place for 25 years and will cost £3.72m to install a total of 4MW of rooftop panels over three years. 

Once completed it is expected that the project will deliver 371 tonnes of annual CO2 emission savings. 

The electricity will be sold back to the host schools for an initial rate of 20p/kWh, which the group expects will help the schools save £7m across the next 25 years. 

If approved, West Suffolk Council will operate the roll-out on behalf of all other councils.