Within the final 10 years, Pennsylvania Okay-12 colleges have almost tripled the quantity of photo voltaic put in, in keeping with a new statewide report on colleges’ photo voltaic uptake printed by Generation180, a clear vitality nonprofit. The photo voltaic capability put in at statewide colleges 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 Okay-12 colleges, together with how colleges are funding it, and native success tales. Whereas a rising variety of colleges have seen the advantages of photo voltaic adoption, lower than 2% of Pennsylvania’s 6,000 Okay-12 colleges produce their very own solar energy, leaving lots of potential for progress.
“All colleges and communities in Pennsylvania — no matter their dimension, geography or wealth — ought to have entry to scrub and reasonably priced energy,” stated Shannon Crooker, Generation180’s Pennsylvania State Director. “We’re serving to colleges throughout the state achieve the cost-saving and academic advantages from producing their very own clear energy.” Generation180 supplies free technical help to varsities taken with exploring how photo voltaic vitality would profit them.
A featured case research within the report, Steelton-Highspire College District (SHSD) saved $10 million in vitality prices and helped steadiness the district price range after switching to solar energy and making vitality effectivity enhancements. The district’s 1.7-MW photo voltaic array supplies 100% of the district’s electrical energy wants and is anticipated to supply $4 million in vitality financial savings over the subsequent twenty years.
“Our major aim is to get extra funding to offset our bills, which permits for extra programming for our college students. By the addition of a 1.7-MW photo voltaic array and our latest undertaking of six electrical college buses, our faculty district can now declare that our electrical bills are offset 100% by photo voltaic vitality, and our bussing transportation is 100% electrical. Resulting from these two clear vitality initiatives, our faculty district is ready to present extra programming and help instantly into the classroom,” stated SHSD Superintendent Dr. Mick Iskric, Jr.
The report discovered that state funding applications have performed an necessary position in bringing down the price of photo voltaic vitality techniques and increasing entry for Pennsylvania colleges. Based on Pennsylvania Division of Environmental Safety knowledge, state funding applications supplied grants or low-interest loans for photo voltaic initiatives at 53 colleges, which is near half of the 114 statewide Okay-12 colleges utilizing photo voltaic vitality.
Though state funding applications have performed an necessary position in supporting new photo voltaic initiatives at colleges up to now, there has not been a constant supply of state funding for Pennsylvania colleges in recent times. In 2023, Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler launched the Photo voltaic for Colleges Act (HB1032) to ascertain the primary state program devoted to offering funding for colleges to put in photo voltaic vitality techniques. Eligible colleges would come with public college districts, profession and technical colleges, and group faculties.
“The Photo voltaic for Colleges grant program would symbolize a win-win-win-win-win for the state. It might assist jumpstart Pennsylvania’s clear vitality subject by creating new photo voltaic jobs, slash colleges’ big 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,” stated Rep. Fiedler.
New state funding applications may very well be mixed with federal funding alternatives created by the Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Discount Act (IRA) that assist colleges pay for photo voltaic vitality initiatives and different vitality upgrades.
“There has by no means been a greater time for Pennsylvania’s colleges to pursue photo voltaic vitality,” stated 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 help make it doable for most faculties 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 each one of our youngsters deserve secure, clear, resilient locations to study and develop and we’re right here to assist.”
Whereas there was statewide progress in photo voltaic vitality manufacturing by colleges, 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 Middle (GJCTC), a regional workforce coaching hub serving seven college districts, simply grew to become the primary college in western Pennsylvania to energy 100% of its electrical energy use with onsite photo voltaic vitality. Photo voltaic and vitality conservation measures are anticipated to generate $19 million in vitality financial savings over 25 years for the seven districts.
Information merchandise from Generation180
