Did you know that almost 5500 K-12 schools have gone solar in the U.S.? And that nearly two-thirds of those schools have seen their solar installed just over the last five years? Or that there’s “tremendous untapped potential among the majority of our schools still without solar” to go solar?
These facts and much more are part of the findings and practical information included in Brighter Future: A Study on Solar in U.S. Schools, a new report issued by the Solar Foundation, Generation 180 and SEIA. In addition to the 60-page study, the authors have provided supplementary assets, including a comprehensive datasheet of solar schools nationwide as well as an instructive infographic (posted below).
The report is rich in demographic and statistical detail, and drills down into a series of interesting trendlines. For example, as the price of solar systems has plummeted over the last few years, the average size of the solar school installations has grown from 100 KW in 2014 to 300 KW in 2017. On the financing side, the study finds that power purchase agreements (PPAs) have “become the primary financing method in school solar adoption, representing nearly 90% of all installed school solar systems for which data is available over the last three years.”
But it’s the stories behind some of the projects as well as the reasons why schools have chosen to go solar, the challenges and insights they have seen and learned during the process of going solar, and the how-to guide for schools thinking about going solar that provide the most compelling reading.
The report includes detailed case studies from solar school projects completed in six states. From the massive 22 MW, 27-site effort in Kern County in California that stands to save the high school district $80 million over the course of the 25-year PPA to the endearing story of an eighth-grader from a middle school in Bozeman, Montana, who spearheaded the successful campaign to raise $115,000 for her school’s solar system, it’s clear that solar provides both energy savings and educational value—not to mention environmental benefits—when deployed in schools.
Other reasons why schools choose to go solar include the job creation resulting from the solar construction projects, the emergency response and resilience that solar schools can provide to their community in times of emergency, and the opportunity to demonstrate the civic value of solar.
The challenges and insights section of the study lays out a generalized list of lessons learned and things to consider on such topics as stakeholder engagement, project feasibility, financing, policy and regulatory requirements, and solar in the curriculum. But for those schools looking into their solar options, it’s the “Let’s Go Solar!” how-to guide section (provided as part of the 180 Foundation’s wonderful solar schools program) that offers a straightforward, six-step action plan. From assessing interest and identifying solar champions to evaluating and selecting the solar installer, the guide clearly lays out what to consider during the predevelopment phase.
Inovateus sees solar education and community outreach as a critical part of our mission. In addition to our active engagement in local schools, Inovateus has worked on several K-12 school projects, taking both a direct EPC management role or collaborating with our installer/supply partners in their projects, such as we did with Midwest Wind & Solar for the Tri-Creek schools in Indiana. We are also managing a multi-site 1.4 MW (DC) project for schools in Evansville, Indiana, currently being built by our friends at Energy Systems Group.
If you’re a facility manager for a K-12 school or school district and have any questions about this report or how your schools can go solar, please contact us. We’re happy to offer more information about the costs, financing and process to schools considering solar.
By Nathan Vogel, VP of strategic research, Inovateus Solar
