US school solar capacity more than triples in a decade, but battery storage lags behind
By Eve
Generation180's sixth Brighter Future report, using data through April, counts more than 10,800 US K to 12 schools with solar, up from 5,450 in 2016, with combined capacity above 2.4 gigawatts. One in seven students, more than 7 million, now attends a school with solar, and California leads with 2,921 schools. Relatively few schools have batteries for backup power, according to coverage by The Cool Down citing Electrek, though Roanoke City Public Schools in Virginia is adding almost 9.4 megawatts at 29 locations, projecting $46.5 million in energy savings over 35 years.
Why it matters
The gap between school solar and school batteries points to a large base of sites where storage could be added to support resilience goals. For CPOs and contractors, that suggests a pipeline of public sector sites where storage and on site charging could potentially be bundled, though the report does not address EV charging directly.
Source
- Original title
- “US schools' solar capacity has more than tripled in a decade, but batteries haven't kept up”
- Published
- 5 November 2026
In this story
- Topic
- Grid & Energy
- Place
- United States
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