Many people recognize rooftop solar as one of the most effective ways to lower electricity bills while reducing reliance on fossil fuels at home. Now, the benefits are reaching beyond homeowners.
In Wayne County, West Virginia, 15 schools are installing solar systems to help fund teachers' salaries, highlighting how businesses, public buildings, and local governments are also turning to clean energy to capture long-term savings.
According to Electrek, six rooftop systems were already finished as of February, with nine more on the way. Overall, the panels are expected to reduce energy costs by up to $200,000 per year once all projects are finished.
For homeowners and public buildings alike, electricity costs can make up a significant share of annual bills. For Wayne County schools, the money saved on energy can be funneled back into classrooms.
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The school district locked in a fixed electricity rate through a long-term power purchase agreement with a local solar company. The deal also means the schools did not have to pay construction costs up front.
If you're curious about how much a solar panel system can reduce your energy costs, you can check out the free tools from EnergySage to get quick solar installation estimates and compare quotes.
Wayne County Schools' Todd Alexander said the solar projects should bring major savings over the lifetime of the panels.
"In some of the projections we were looking at over the life of this PPA, it's basically going to fund two teaching careers," the superintendent said in a press release. "It's a benefit for the entire community."
According to the release, the clean energy upgrade is expected to avoid about 2,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, roughly equivalent to the annual emissions from 560 gas-powered cars.
Those commenting on the Electrek article were quick to share their support for the Wayne County project.
"Another big win-win ... schools pay lower energy costs, and surplus is sent out to the grid. Schools have a ton of rooftop real estate to install panels, so why not?" one wrote.
"Do this everywhere!" another said.
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"Add some batteries and those schools become resilient community centers in an outage or emergency," another added.
Homeowners looking into how solar can transform their energy systems and savings can explore free resources from EnergySage. Those who consult with EnergySage experts can save up to $10,000 on installation costs.
EnergySage even has a helpful mapping tool that shows the average costs of solar, state-by-state, with details on incentives. It can help consumers find the best price possible for panels in their region.
To further boost savings or cut ties with the grid entirely, it may be worth pairing your solar panels with a battery backup system. EnergySage can help you there, too, with free resources on home energy storage.
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