More than 10,800 K-12 schools have gone solar across the United States

More than 10,800 K-12 schools across the country now run on solar power, up from 5,450 in 2016, according to a new report from the nonprofit Generation180. Together these schools have over 2.4 gigawatts of solar capacity, enough to power more than 450,000 homes. California leads the country with nearly 2,921 solar-powered schools, followed by New Jersey and New York. Districts that switch to solar can see big savings: Roanoke City Public Schools, for example, expects to save an estimated $46.5 million on energy costs over 35 years, money that can go toward classrooms and staff instead of utility bills.

The report also looked at battery storage, which lets a building store solar power and use it later, including during outages. It found 155 schools nationwide with battery systems installed since 2016, a sevenfold increase over the past decade, though that's still less than 0.1% of all U.S. K-12 schools. About a third of public schools serve as official emergency shelters, so pairing solar with batteries can help a school keep the lights and heat on during a storm while also cutting everyday electric costs. California again leads in this category, with about 70% of the batteries identified nationwide.

This is a report about school buildings, not homes, but it points to the same trend playing out in neighborhoods: solar paired with battery storage lowering bills and adding backup power when the grid goes down. If your own state has been ramping up school solar installations, it may be worth checking what incentives or rebates are available for homeowners too.