Wayne County Public Schools, the first school district in West Virginia which will have all of its schools buildings powered with onsite solar energy by 2025, has created a path to power its buildings with onsite renewable energy that will generate significant financial benefits, support local businesses, and invest in a future clean energy workforce.

It is the largest K-12 school solar project in Appalachia. With over five megawatts of solar capacity (over 10,000 solar panels) across the district’s 18 school buildings, parking garage, and school board building, WCPS will power almost 100% of its electricity needs with the sun. Over the next 25 years, solar will save the WCPS $6.5 million. WCPS serves 6,240 students at 18 schools.  

The idea began after Superintendent Todd Alexander saw the cost-saving benefits of improving energy efficiency with LED lighting and HVAC upgrades. He turned to local solar developer Solar Holler to find even more cost savings through clean energy. 

He wanted the project to support a local business and the local economy. With its headquarters in Wayne County, Solar Holler was a natural choice as a project partner. The Solar Holler staff includes graduates of Wayne County Public Schools and parents with children currently enrolled in the school system. 

“Working with the school system of Wayne County is a dream come true for Solar Holler,” said founder and CEO Dan Conant. “Some of our staff graduated from Wayne County Schools or have kids who are students there now. It’s the heart of coal country, where our state’s proud history of energy production is rooted. It’s literally the community that’s helped build our business, so we’re really grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on what solar can do for public institutions and education systems right here in Southern West Virginia.” 

WCPS is the first K-12 school district in the state to use a solar power purchase agreement (PPA), a third-party ownership model in which the solar developer funds, installs, and maintains the solar array on behalf of the customer, so WCPS avoided paying upfront capital costs and was able to install such a large solar project. 

Wayne County Schools agreed to purchase the electricity generated by the solar panels at a predetermined rate (10–20% lower than the rate they pay their utility) for 25 years. Wayne County’s designation as an energy community with a history of coal mine closures and reliance on fossil fuel employment made the project eligible for an additional tax incentive that will help bring down the project’s overall cost for the solar developer.

The district will invest the projected energy cost savings of $6.5 million over 25 years into addressing pressing facility and staffing needs. Alexander estimates that is enough to fund the salaries of three additional teachers for the duration of their careers.

Before the first solar panels were installed, Wayne County Public Schools partnered with Solar Holler to develop an apprenticeship program to prepare high school seniors for future careers in the growing local renewable energy industry. Through this program, students gain hands-on experience and practical skills in solar technology, electrical work, and project management. Under the supervision of Solar Holler’s unionized installation crews, WCPS students will have the opportunity to participate in the installation of solar panels on their own school buildings. Furthermore, many of the Solar Holler’s apprentices go on to retain full time employment at the company upon graduation.

“[Wayne County is] the heart of coal country, where our state’s proud history of energy production is rooted,” says Dan Conant. “It’s literally the community that’s helped build our business, so we’re really grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on what solar can do for public institutions and education systems right here in Southern West Virginia.”

It is one of the stories told in a recent report by Generation180. Today, it says, at least one in nine students in the US attend a K-12 school powered by solar energy. More than 800 K-12 schools added new solar arrays in 2022-2023, and over the past decade, solar capacity at US schools has more than quadrupled.

“Schools can teach us how to charge towards a brighter future with 100% clean energy,” says Generation180. “We are supporting K-12 schools to electrify their buildings and vehicles, power them with clean energy, and create energy resilient hubs for their communities.”

Source:

Solar-Powered School District Shines Bright in West Virginia’s Coal Country Generation180, Aug. 27 2024

Cover image: Boyd County High School, Kentucky. Photo by Solar Holler