Thousands of schools across the United States use solar power, generating significant savings and helping them meet significant energy needs, according to a new report.
More than 8,400 public and private schools with 6 million students, or about 1 in 10 schools nationwide, now use solar energy, according to a report from the nonprofit Generation180.
Since 2015, the number of solar panels installed in K-12 schools across the country has tripled, while the number of schools using solar power has more than doubled, the report said.
According to the report, California, New Jersey, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Illinois are leading the way in school solar capacity.
And the schools that install solar panels are not necessarily in the wealthiest communities.
According to the report, nearly half of solar-powered public schools, 47%, qualify for Title 1 funding, serving a large demographic of low-income students.
Schools with budgets of all sizes have installed these systems through third-party arrangements that minimize up-front costs and help schools realize immediate savings, Generation180 notes.
The partnership helps finance about 87% of the solar energy installed in American schools, while the remainder is purchased and owned directly by schools, according to the report.
"The benefits of solar energy are now reaching schools across the country, including schools in underserved communities that benefit the most from the energy savings and educational opportunities solar technology provides," said Tish Tablan, director of The Solar For. The All Schools Program Statement - Generation180 states:
"We strive to ensure that all schools and communities, regardless of size, region or wealth, have access to clean and affordable energy," Tablan added.
The Generation180 report, the authors say, comes at a time of "unprecedented momentum" in clean energy when the inflation-reducing law President Biden signed last month went into effect, investing nearly $369 billion in projects to link renewables. energy.
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With 1,647 megawatts of solar installed, schools across the country generate enough solar energy to power nearly 300,000 homes each year, the authors point out.
If all K-12 schools in the US were fully solar-powered, the buildings could offset the carbon emissions generated by 16 coal-fired power plants each year, the report said.
Installing solar panels in schools also provides students with hands-on STEM learning opportunities, as well as training for potential careers in industry, note the authors.
The Denver Renewable Energy Academy is offering high school students the opportunity to prepare for jobs as solar installers, according to the release.
In Albuquerque, NM, energy storage and solar systems in high schools aim to help schools reduce bills by reducing peak energy demand.
"We need the education sector to drive our nation's transition to a clean energy economy," Generation180 CEO Wendy Filleo said in a statement.
“K-12 schools are becoming incubators for the clean energy workforce of tomorrow by learning about renewable energy, engaging in hands-on STEM research and training students for solar careers,” added Filleo. "Schools must prepare our children to help build a better future."
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