‘Great British Energy solar panels’ for schools were made in China

The first schools in England to install what the government described as “Great British Energy solar panels” bought them from Chinese firms, the BBC has learned.

The first 11 schools involved in the GB Energy scheme bought solar panels from Aiko and Longi, two Chinese firms.

The government said the scheme was “the first major project for Great British Energy – a company owned by the British people, for the British people”.

Labour MP Sarah Champion said GB Energy should be buying solar panels from companies in the UK rather than China, where there have been allegations of forced labour in supply chains.

“I’m really excited about the principle of GB Energy,” she told BBC News.

“But it’s taxpayers’ money and we should not be supporting slave labour with that money. And wherever possible, we should be supporting good working practices and buy British if we can.”

She added: “That means that yes, unfortunately, in the short term, solar panels are probably going to be slightly more expensive.

“There are solar panels made around the world in Taiwan, Canada, even in the UK.”

Longi and Aiko both told the BBC they forbid forced labour in their production and supply chains.

China is the world’s leading producer of solar panels and the suppliers in the Xinjiang region have been linked to the alleged exploitation of Uyghur Muslims.

Earlier this year, the law was changed to ban GB Energy from investing in renewables if there is evidence of modern slavery in their production.

China has dominated the market and, according to the International Energy Agency, the country’s global share in all the manufacturing stages of solar panels exceeds 80%.

Champion, who is chair of the International Development Select Committee, said “abuse in renewable supply chains is insidious and hard to root out”.

But she urged ministers to exclude known human-rights offenders from winning public contracts.

A GB Energy spokesperson said all of the solar contracts issued under the schools initiative complied with the UK’s modern slavery rules.

Up to 50% of the world’s supply of polysilicon – a key component in solar panels – is estimated to come from the Xinjiang region.

Mark Candlish is the director of GB-Sol, which calls itself the only manufacturer of conventional solar panels in the UK.

He said polysilicon was “a key social issue facing our industry, with the risk of forced labour in the main mining areas”.

He added: “The global solar market is so dominated by China that it is difficult to avoid buying Chinese if you want the low cost energy and low carbon benefits of solar PV.”

Many businesses and governments – including the UK’s – buy Chinese solar panels because they are cheaper than those made elsewhere.

Two thirds (68%) of the solar panels imported by the UK came from China in 2024, according to HMRC trade data. That’s an increase on the figure in 2023, when Chinese products accounted for 61% of UK solar imports.

A report by Sheffield Hallam University in 2023 linked various solar companies to suppliers in the Xinjiang region.

One of the report’s authors, Alan Crawford, said the general lack of transparency in the entire solar supply chain was greater now than it was in 2023, when his Over-Exposed report was published.

“Companies that were willing to comment are now silent,” he said.

GB Energy is a state-owned company that was set up by the Labour government to invest in renewables, such as solar power.

In its first big investment, GB Energy is spending about £200m on rooftop solar for 200 schools and NHS hospitals across the country.

The first tranche of this funding has been spent on the Chinese solar panels for the 11 schools.

The Department for Education told the BBC which companies had made the solar panels in response to a freedom of information request.

A GB Energy spokesperson said the company would “lead the way in ethical supply chains” and insisted there was “no place for forced labour or unethical practices in the UK’s energy transition”.

The spokesperson added: “That is why we are introducing a statutory duty on Great British Energy to prevent modern slavery in its supply chains, and reviewing supplier transparency and disclosure standards to ensure confidence in all public-facing renewable programmes.

“All contracts issued under this schools and hospitals solar initiative complied with UK procurement rules, including extensive requirements under the Modern Slavery Act.

“GBE will seek to uphold these requirements in its contracting arrangements and are actively engaging with international partners to raise the bar globally on solar supply chain accountability.”

China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity against the Uyghur population and other mostly-Muslim ethnic groups in the north-western region of Xinjiang.

In state-sponsored programmes, detainees are forced to produce goods including polysilicon, a core ingredient in solar panels, according to the US Department of Labor.

The Chinese government has denied all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Longi and Aiko are both members of the Solar Stewardship Initiative, which is a scheme designed to develop confidence in the supply chain and the responsible sourcing of solar panels.

An Aiko spokesperson said the company was “committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical business conduct and responsible sourcing”.

“We take any concerns related to human rights and labour practices seriously and expect our suppliers to do the same,” the spokesperson said.

“As part of our ongoing efforts, we engage with suppliers to promote transparency and continuous improvement in line with international guidelines. We are also closely monitoring global supply chain developments and remain committed to working with stakeholders to support a fair and sustainable solar industry.”

Longi said it regretted the findings of the Sheffield Hallam University report and “categorically affirms that forced labour has no place within our supply chain”.

A company spokesperson said the conclusions in the Over-Exposed report “may not fully reflect the comprehensive measures Longi has implemented to ensure full compliance with international labour standards”.

“Independent third-party audits play a critical role in verifying compliance and identifying potential risks,” the spokesperson said.

“While the complexity of global supply chains presents challenges, Longi remains steadfast in its efforts to eliminate any risks associated with forced labour.”