CHESTER COUNTY, PA — A new study by the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center suggests Pennsylvania schools could reap major financial and environmental benefits by adopting solar power, with Chester County standing out as one of the state’s top opportunities.
The report, Solar Schools for Pennsylvania: Repowering Education with Clean Energy, concludes that statewide school solar installations could generate enough electricity to power 187,000 homes each year. The shift would also cut carbon emissions equivalent to removing nearly 300,000 cars from the road annually and save schools an estimated $342 million over the lifetime of the systems, even without federal tax incentives that are set to expire.
For Chester County, the analysis found that schools could save more than $11.3 million over time while producing enough electricity to power nearly 10,000 homes. The county ranks fifth in Pennsylvania for potential electricity generation from school-based solar projects.
“Repowering Pennsylvania’s schools with solar energy can pay dividends for local taxpayers, our health and our planet,” said Flora Cardoni, Deputy Director of PennEnvironment. “There’s never been a better time for schools to ‘go solar.’”
The report highlights schools as prime candidates for solar projects due to their large rooftops, open fields, and parking areas suitable for solar canopies. Because these facilities can host larger systems, they can take advantage of economies of scale that lower installation costs.
Nationally, schools spend around $8 billion each year on energy, making it their second-largest expense after salaries. Solar systems, the study notes, offer a way to stabilize budgets against rising electricity prices. For example, the Steelton-Highspire School District near Harrisburg expects to save $4 million over the next 20 years from its solar array.
State Representative Elizabeth Fiedler pointed to the success of existing projects across Pennsylvania. “School solar is a win-win-win that cuts costs and allows schools to really thrive,” she said, citing examples from rooftops in urban districts to rural fields where livestock graze beneath panels.
To accelerate adoption, PennEnvironment is calling for renewed state-level support through the Solar for Schools grant program, restoration of federal solar incentives recently repealed by Congress, and further action under Governor Josh Shapiro’s energy plan.
“Our schools are places where our children go to learn, play, achieve and succeed,” Cardoni added. “Now they can also be places that help reduce air and climate pollution, save taxpayers money, and lead the way with clean, homegrown energy.”
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