Schools across the nation are switching to solar energy

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A new report from Generation 180 shows that solar energy usage has tripled in schools across the nation since 2015.

Schools with low to high ranging budgets are accessing benefits that come from this switch.

“In our recent report, we found that nearly 1 in 10 K-12 schools around the country have gone solar, and Charlottesville and Albemarle county are amongst that top 10% in the country,” said Tish Tablan, program director at Generation 180.

Some of it is to send a message, but a bigger reason may be money.

“Energy is the second largest expense for schools after staffing, and by going solar, they can lower their electricity bills and reinvest those savings back into student learning,” Tablan said.

Generation 180 hopes that by bringing solar onto schools and into classrooms, they’re creating real teaching moments.

“The most exciting part about schools going solar is bringing the technology into the classroom, and allowing students to enhance their understanding of science, technology and engineering, and also have the opportunity to train for jobs of the future,” Tablan said. “Students have access to solar technology and to the data about how much energy solar energy those schools are producing, and they can use that in the classroom to study science and engineering and learn about energy.”

The full report can be found here.

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