Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced a more than $1.9 million investment in five Pennsylvania schools through the Solar for Schools Grant Program to help cover the purchase and installation of solar panels including permit fees, energy storage, and utility interconnection. The program is administered by DCED and funded through the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA).
“Through the Solar for Schools grants, we are helping schools reduce long-term energy costs so they can invest more dollars where they matter most: in students, educators, and classrooms,” said Department of Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe. “These projects also create meaningful opportunities for students to learn about sustainability, energy consumption, and environmental stewardship through hands on experiences that deepen their understanding of how human decisions affect the natural world.”
School districts, intermediate units, area career and technical schools, charter schools, cyber charter schools, chartered schools for the education of the deaf or blind, community colleges, The Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, and The Pennsylvania College of Technology were eligible to apply for the grants.
“At a time when energy usage, and the price of energy is a focus more than ever before, harnessing the sun’s power through the use of solar panels is an ideal renewable energy source,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “The Solar for Schools program, and the associated Solar for Schools Toolkit makes it easy for schools to consider switching to solar, and walks them through the process. At the same time that going solar saves money, it also helps reduce our carbon footprint and reduce pollution, making it a smart decision economically, and for the environment.”
The following Solar for Schools grants were approved:
Elk County:
- $480,000 to the Ridgway Area School District to assist with the installation of a solar panel system that will provide an average savings of $182,923 per year.
Philadelphia County:
- $208,954 to Green Woods Charter School to assist with the installation of a solar panel system that will provide an average savings of $27,175 per year.
- $354,382 to the School District of Philadelphia to assist with the installation of a solar system at Andrew Hamiliton Elementary School, providing an average annual savings to the school district of $37,254.
- $304,269 to the School District of Philadelphia to assist with the installation of a solar system at Horace Furness High School, providing an average savings to the school district of $23,899 per year.
- $600,000 to the School District of Philadelphia to assist with the installation of a solar system at Mayfair Elementary School, providing an average annual savings to the school district of $91,400.
