Virginia’s largest solar array on a school rooftop just came online

A 1.8-megawatt (MW) school rooftop solar array, the largest in Virginia, is now online – and the US needs to do a whole lot more of this.

School rooftop solar in Virginia

Stafford County Public Schools partnered with New York-based Madison Energy Infrastructure (MEI) to install the rooftop solar array at North Stafford High School. It’s made up of 3,300 solar panels, and it’s going to save the school system an estimated $2.8 million in electric bills over the next 25 years. The rooftop will also generate 54 million kilowatt hours of clean energy and offset 41,583 tons of CO2.

Installation of this project in Stafford County, 40 miles south of Washington, D.C., began in February of this year, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony was yesterday.

Students will learn about solar using MEI’s Solar Empowered Schools curriculum, which integrates real-time data from the solar panels into energy and science lessons. Students have already started using MEI’s solar-empowered school modules and VR educational tours of the rooftop.

“This rooftop solar array represents a significant milestone for our school division,” said Maureen Siegmund, Stafford school board chair. “We are proud to be a part of this energy and cost savings project while also providing our students with real-world educational opportunities to engage in this field at North Stafford High School.”

According to a Generation180 study about solar power on US K-12 schools released last month, Virginia ranks No 9 among states for cumulative capacity of rooftop solar on schools. It has 180 arrays with a total solar capacity of 55,423 kW. The study found that 1 in 9 US students now attend a solar-powered school and that more than 800 K-12 schools added new solar arrays in 2022-2023.

Electrek’s Take

Like warehouses and box stores, solar on sprawling, flat school roofs is an absolute no-brainer. It saves a ton of money for schools, which are always on tight budgets and reduces emissions overall.

The Generation180 study says that 80% of cumulative solar capacity installed at K-12 schools is primarily funded by third-party ownership models such as power purchase agreements and leases (the other 20% is direct ownership).

The study states, “Effective third-party ownership agreements remove the barrier of upfront capital costs, stabilize long-term electricity prices, and generate immediate energy bill saving.”

There is no reason that school rooftop solar shouldn’t be rolled out as quickly as possible in all states, because everyone wins.

Read more: Rooftop solar is installed on West Virginia public schools – why that’s a big deal

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