Roughly 12 percent of America’s K-12 students attend school in a building that has solar panels, and that number is likely to grow in the coming years thanks to an onslaught of new federal funding promoting clean energy adoption, according to a new report from the nonprofit advocacy group Generation180.
Generation180 found that as of 2023, just shy of 9,000 public and private school buildings had solar panels—more than double the same figure from 2014. That’s out of 130,000 public and private schools nationwide, though some have multiple buildings.
Getting energy from solar panels reduces reliance on traditional electricity, which is often generated by burning fossil fuels that emit toxic fumes, worsen air quality, and contribute to global climate change. Schools can also save money in the long run by lowering their energy bills.
Forty-six of those solar-powered school buildings are in the Denver school district. The district has cut down dramatically on its energy bills as a result, said LeeAnn Kittle, the Denver schools sustainability executive director.
More than 60 percent of the district’s energy costs for traditional electricity come from higher rates during peak usage hours, Kittle said. On the campuses with rooftop solar panels, energy costs during peak hours aren’t as high because more of the energy is coming from nature rather than the electrical grid.
The district is also using nearly $3 million in grants from the city to construct outdoor classroom structures on 14 campuses with attached rooftop solar, Kittle said. Meanwhile, solar panels atop a carport structure on one campus send energy to the district’s schools but also to some low-income residents in surrounding communities.
Tackling climate change head-on is a key priority for the district, Kittle said, because some of its most vulnerable students come from wildfire-stricken communities where climate change is all too apparent.
“We want to show them we are looking at all avenues to reduce our carbon footprint,” Kittle said.
Solar projects in school districts are getting bigger and saving more money
In addition to the number of installations, the average size of solar panel systems in schools has increased in the last decade, the Generation180 report shows, corresponding with falling costs and mounting federal funding support for energy-efficient building projects.
The average cost of a non-residential solar project has dropped by more than 70 percent over the last decade, and for the first time this year dropped below $1.50 per watt according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. In 2023, a solar project of 202 kilowatts (the current average size for a solar panel set for a school) would cost just shy of $300,000. A project of the same size would have cost more than $1 million less than a decade ago.
One district in Wisconsin estimates it will recoup its investment in solar panels within 12 years of the panels’ 25-year lifespan, reported Up North News. That means the district expects that it will effectively get 13 years of free electricity, annually saving 22 percent, or $15,000, from its electric bill. The district also may be able to use the lower demand for electricity to negotiate a lower rate with its utility provider.
The Denver district this November will seek voter approval for an ambitious $975 million bond package that includes funding for various building projects including solar. The bond proposal residents will see includes explicit mentions of seeking tax credits for eligible projects.
“If they are to invest in solar for us, we would do our due diligence,” Kittle said.
Solar schools are much more common in some states than in others
Generation180 uses state databases, school websites, media reports, and other primary sources to maintain a searchable database of all the schools nationwide that have solar panels.
Some states are much further along than others in terms of solar adoption in schools. More than 1 in 4 schools in Hawaii and Connecticut have solar panels, and another three states and the District of Columbia have solar panels on more than 20 percent of their school buildings. Those states are California, New Jersey, and Vermont.
Schools have several options for paying for solar. The most common by far has been through power-purchase agreements, in which schools purchase from the local utility company energy generated by solar panels on their buildings, and also make additional money by selling excess energy back to the utility.
Slightly fewer than 30 states permit power-purchase agreements for solar projects. The overwhelming majority of schools that have adopted solar—92 percent—are in one of those states.
States that don’t offer explicit permission for power-purchase agreements include parts of the Pacific Northwest and Midwest (Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Wyoming); several southern states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee); and Alaska. All of the states that have fewer than 10 school buildings with solar panels are on that list.
Schools in those states that want to pursue solar projects largely have to pay for them directly, often with help from public and private grants and rebates.
On that front, schools now have more options than ever before. The federal Inflation Reduction Act investment package includes a “Direct Pay” program through which school districts can receive tax credits worth up to 70 percent of the cost of solar installations. Funding for that program, administered by the Internal Revenue Service, is unlimited for the next decade.
Some states have also gotten in on the solar trend. Pennsylvania’s recently passed state budget includes $25 million in grants to cover half of schools’ solar installation costs. Maryland and Minnesota are among the states with similar programs.
Kittle strongly urges districts to evaluate the potential for solar to reduce costs and address their larger goals of supporting local communities. Districts wary of the complex investment in solar panels could start with a shade structure like the ones in the works outside her city’s schools.
“Don’t be afraid to start with a small step,” she said.
