Within the final 10 years, Pennsylvania Ok-12 faculties have almost tripled the quantity of photo voltaic put in, in response to a brand new statewide report on faculties’ photo voltaic uptake printed by Generation180, a clear power nonprofit. The photo voltaic capability put in at statewide faculties over the previous 10 years grew from 14 MW to roughly 39 MW.
The brand new report, “Powering a Brighter Future in Pennsylvania, Second Version,” examines the state of photo voltaic at Ok-12 faculties, together with how faculties are funding it, and native success tales. Whereas a rising variety of faculties have seen the advantages of photo voltaic adoption, lower than 2% of Pennsylvania’s 6,000 Ok-12 faculties produce their very own solar energy, leaving numerous potential for progress.
“All faculties and communities in Pennsylvania — no matter their measurement, geography or wealth — ought to have entry to scrub and reasonably priced energy,” mentioned Shannon Crooker, Generation180’s Pennsylvania State Director. “We’re serving to faculties throughout the state achieve the cost-saving and academic advantages from producing their very own clear energy.” Generation180 supplies free technical help to colleges focused on exploring how photo voltaic power would profit them.
A featured case examine within the report, Steelton-Highspire Faculty District (SHSD) saved $10 million in power prices and helped steadiness the district price range after switching to solar energy and making power effectivity enhancements. The district’s 1.7-MW photo voltaic array supplies 100% of the district’s electrical energy wants and is predicted to offer $4 million in power financial savings over the subsequent 20 years.
“Our major objective is to get extra funding to offset our bills, which permits for extra programming for our college students. Via the addition of a 1.7-MW photo voltaic array and our latest venture of six electrical faculty buses, our faculty district can now declare that our electrical bills are offset 100% by photo voltaic power, and our bussing transportation is 100% electrical. Resulting from these two clear power initiatives, our faculty district is ready to present extra programming and assist immediately into the classroom,” mentioned SHSD Superintendent Dr. Mick Iskric, Jr.
The report discovered that state funding packages have performed an necessary position in bringing down the price of photo voltaic power methods and increasing entry for Pennsylvania faculties. In accordance with Pennsylvania Division of Environmental Safety information, state funding packages offered grants or low-interest loans for photo voltaic tasks at 53 faculties, which is near half of the 114 statewide Ok-12 faculties utilizing photo voltaic power.
Though state funding packages have performed an necessary position in supporting new photo voltaic tasks at faculties previously, there has not been a constant supply of state funding for Pennsylvania faculties in recent times. In 2023, Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler launched the Photo voltaic for Faculties Act (HB1032) to ascertain the primary state program devoted to offering funding for faculties to put in photo voltaic power methods. Eligible faculties would come with public faculty districts, profession and technical faculties, and neighborhood schools.
“The Photo voltaic for Faculties grant program would signify a win-win-win-win-win for the state. It might assist jumpstart Pennsylvania’s clear power area by creating new photo voltaic jobs, slash faculties’ enormous utility payments, generate income for much-needed infrastructure upgrades, forestall municipalities from having to boost native property taxes, and facilitate STEM and coaching academic alternatives for college kids,” mentioned Rep. Fiedler.
New state funding packages could possibly be mixed with federal funding alternatives created by the Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Discount Act (IRA) that assist faculties pay for photo voltaic power tasks and different power upgrades.
“There has by no means been a greater time for Pennsylvania’s faculties to pursue photo voltaic power,” mentioned Matt Barron, Program Director for Sustainability at The Heinz Endowments in Pittsburgh. “The federal, state, and native incentives and technical help alternatives paired with philanthropic initiatives and assist make it doable for most colleges so as to add photo voltaic for free of charge out of pocket and to start realizing financial savings after only a few years. The Heinz Endowments believes that every one of our children deserve secure, clear, resilient locations to be taught and develop and we’re right here to assist.”
Whereas there was statewide progress in photo voltaic power manufacturing by faculties, it has not been even throughout the state. Northern and western Pennsylvania have lagged in photo voltaic adoption, however that’s beginning to change. The Better Johnstown Profession and Know-how Heart (GJCTC), a regional workforce coaching hub serving seven faculty districts, simply turned the primary faculty in western Pennsylvania to energy 100% of its electrical energy use with onsite photo voltaic power. Photo voltaic and power conservation measures are anticipated to generate $19 million in power financial savings over 25 years for the seven districts.
Information merchandise from Generation180
