Solar energy has been touted for years as a potential solution to the massive energy crisis which is only beginning to rear its head in our nation. One of the key locations where solar energy is poised to cause a revolution is in the nation’s schools.
Many schools are using solar energy to cut down on their utility bills. This is excellent news for teachers, many of whom can finally begin to be paid at the level they truly deserve for all of their hard work, long hours, and unending dedication. Solar energy is truly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the realm of education.
A SolarCity installation in San Rafael, CA. Credit: SolarCity
The Recent Brighter Future Report
A recently published report, known as Brighter Future: A Study On Solar In U.S. Schools, has publicized some fascinating facts and statistics which are well worth getting to know. Some of the key findings which the study has uncovered are as follows:
- Over 450 school districts in the United States could instantly save more than a million dollars each over the next 30 years by installing a solar energy system.
- Out of the total of 125,000 schools that currently operate in the United States, between 40,000 and 70,000 could adopt solar energy without spending hardly anything on the conversion.
- There are already over 3,700 schools in the United States that possess solar installations.
- The solar PV systems that already exist at American schools combine for a staggering total of 490 megawatts. Between all of them, they generate an amazing 642,000 megawatt hours of electricity in a years’ time.
- All of the energy produced in schools by solar energy amounts to $77.8 billion in normal utility bills. This amount of money could do a revolutionary amount of good if spent elsewhere.
