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New Report: Solar at K-12 Schools Tripled Nationwide Since 2015

Image of the cover of the Brighter Future Report, featuring students learning under a solar school array

Schools with budgets of all sizes are accessing the benefits of solar

We need the education sector to help advance our transition to a clean energy economy. K-12 schools are becoming incubators for our clean energy workforce by training students for solar careers.”
— Wendy Philleo, Generation180 Executive Director
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, UNITED STATES, September 15, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Charlottesville, VA—Schools across the country are rapidly switching to solar power to meet their energy needs while gaining significant cost-savings, STEM learning, and climate resiliency benefits, according to a new report from clean energy nonprofit Generation180. Since the start of 2015, the amount of solar installed by U.S. K-12 schools has tripled.

According to Brighter Future: A Study of Solar on K-12 Schools, 4th edition, over six million students now attend more than 8,400 schools nationwide that utilize solar power. The growth of solar energy on schools has reached 1 in 10 (9%) of all K-12 public and private schools in the United States. The report also found that nearly half (47%) of the public schools with solar are eligible for the Title 1 Schoolwide Program, which serves a large population of low-income students.

Schools with budgets of all sizes are going solar through third-party partnerships that remove the barrier of upfront costs and help schools see immediate energy cost savings. The report found that 87% of solar power installed at U.S. schools was funded through these third-party arrangements.

“The benefits of solar energy now reach a broad range of schools across the country, including schools in under-resourced communities that stand to gain the most from the energy cost savings and educational opportunities that solar technology provides. We are striving for all schools and communities, regardless of their size, geography, or wealth, to have access to clean and affordable power,” said Tish Tablan, lead report author and director of Generation180’s Solar For All Schools Program.

The report comes at a time of unparalleled momentum and historic federal investment in clean energy, most recently with the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $369 billion toward renewable projects that will create a surge in demand for skilled clean energy workers.

“We need the education sector to help advance our country’s transition to a clean energy economy. K-12 schools are becoming incubators for our future clean energy workforce by teaching about renewable energy, engaging in hands-on STEM research, and training students for solar careers. Schools need to be preparing our children to help build a better future,” said Wendy Philleo, executive director of Generation180.

In Denver Public Schools’ Renewable Energy Academy, high school students begin preparing for employment as solar installers. The job is expected to become one of the country’s fastest growing occupations over the next decade.

Schools are also combining solar with battery storage to provide back-up power to their buildings during emergencies. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, the solar and storage under installation at Atrisco Heritage Academy High School will soon enable the school to stay open for both students and community members during power outages and climate emergencies.

Generation180 is helping schools considering solar by connecting them to school leader peers through its Clean Energy School Leaders Network and providing educational resources and technical assistance. The report website includes an interactive map of solar schools across the nation, along with other resources to help school districts go solar.

For a copy of the report, B-roll, and digital assets, please visit this link.

Kay Campbell
Generation180
+1 434-987-2572
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