Bright Futures: Solar Powers Up Education

Typically only visible from a birds-eye-view, or if you happen to be flying a drone, solar panels are the new addition to savvy school building aesthetics.  That’s because many schools in the United States are tackling outdated infrastructure in a brand new way — a renewable energy sort of way. 

U.S schools teach an estimated 50 million students and for many of them, ages 5-18, school is a second home. Almost 50% of schools in the U.S need to replace or update their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and while an exorbitant amount of money is being spent on school infrastructure there’s never enough to go round.  Which is why many education department’s are seeing the idea of being a ‘‘solar school’ as increasingly attractive. In fact going solar is becoming the smart choice when administrators face rising energy costs. 

Solar = Cost Efficiency

In 2011 a middle school in Loudoun County, Virginia, Lunsford MS, ​​ increased its day-lighting, energy and water efficiency, utilized recycled and low emissions materials in its construction, created stormwater “rain gardens” and perhaps most importantly of all, installed 72 solar panels on its roof. An investment that paid off, quite literally.  

The total generation capacity of those solar panels created extra energy the school didn’t need and the surplus energy feeds back into the grid and pays the school for the privilege of selling their clean electricity. Virginia districts are not the only ones who are changing their old energy habits and going solar.  Other states like California, New Jersey, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, are also taking the lead on school solar capacity, demonstrating the desire to go renewable. 

Solar = Learning

The installation of solar panels on school buildings not only provides clean electricity to schools but the process can also provide the  opportunity to teach students about renewable energy resources. 

Schools in Prince William County, Virginia announced a partnership with Secure Solar Futures, a private energy company to bring solar panels to twelve schools in their district. It is estimated that their solar panels arrays will collectively generate  enough clean energy to power the equivalent of 779 homes and will cut 4,005 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. 

According to the Prince William County Publics School’s own website, the schools received the solar panels on a zero upfront capital investment basis which means Secure Solar Future will own the solar equipment but then sell the power back to the cooperating schools at a reduced rate.  A rate that will result in the schools collectively saving around $16 million in energy costs over the next 25 years.

But that is not all – the Secure Solar Futures also offers a classroom curriculum that aligns with Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) from grades K-12, and which includes teacher training, lesson plans, and science kits for experiments on energy. Plus their citizen science program, which was in conjunction with the Science Museum of Virginia and the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education, offers high school students the opportunity to work with leading climatologist, Dr. Jeremy Hoffman, chief scientist at the Science Museum, to investigate solar power, and other clean energy related topics.

Solar = Green Skills 

With over 6 million students, that is 1 in every 9,  now attending a solar powered school in the U.S, we know that green skills are increasingly necessary and essential to keep the transition to clean electricity moving in the right direction.

Installing solar panels at school is tangible proof to students that green jobs are real. A school in Virginia is going one step further and is giving students experiential learning by teaching them how to install panels. This hands-on approach is building student autonomy and knowledge about renewable energy and what a career in this field might be like. With the increase in energy alternatives, accessibility to green skills is crucial. 

Solar = Equity and Resiliency

Some states and districts also have access to special grants and government funding for renewable energy initiatives. The 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant, for example, is part of the Renew America’s School Program, which aims to make energy upgrades and decrease energy costs, specifically looking at schools in disadvantaged communities (DAC). This initiative is in conjunction with the Department of Energy and demonstrates the importance of cross sector partnerships with the Department of Education for improvements. 

Collectively K-12 schools in the US spend more than $6 billion a year on energy and at least a quarter of that could be saved with smarter energy management. The case for solar schools is powerful.

With solar, costs of energy decrease while extra energy generated will not be wasted and can even make the schools extra revenue. When schools are out of session, even more surplus solar energy is generated which can be sold “back to the grid”. This also creates a network of resiliency when power lines go down, especially during extreme weather events. 

The emission of 1.7 million metric tons of CO2 is avoided each year in the US with the use of solar panels. Solar schools will increasingly cut these emissions even more. While we know that transitioning to renewable energy is a big task, the benefits work on many levels, individual level, the institutional level and perhaps more importantly of all, the community level. By updating energy infrastructure, we are investing in our students’ potential to tackle climate change on many levels and by building schools that are inspiringly sustainable we are creating youth who are natural advocates for their planet. 

Support EARTHDAY.ORG’s work by reposting, sharing and  spreading the Earth Day theme for 2025, Our Power, Our Planet, and consider writing to your state legislator, asking them to back clean energy where you live –  Tell Your Lawmakers: Renewable Energy Now – Earth Day.