6 million kids now attend a solar-powered school

6.2 million students–or one in nine across the nation–attend a solar-powered school, according to the latest edition of Generation180’s Brighter Future report. 

As of 2023, 8,971 American schools are equipped with solar power. Since 2014, the cumulative capacity of solar at K-12 schools has increased from 422 MW to 1,814 MW. The average size of solar systems installed at schools has grown by 50 percent in the last decade.

“More and more America’s schools are getting energy straight from their rooftops,” said Johanna Neumann, senior director of Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy. “We should be deploying rooftop solar everywhere we can and many of the flat sunny roofs of America’s schools are perfectly suited to soak up the sun.” 

The report notes that falling installation costs have been the primary catalyst for more schools adopting solar. Installing solar now costs 40 percent of what it did a decade ago–and coupled with state and federal programs, it is now cheaper than ever for schools to transition to clean energy. The emergence of energy storage technology for K-12 schools also shows the increased reliability of solar installations at schools. While most battery projects are concentrated in California schools, this technology is expected to become more prevalent in the near future. 

For more about how rooftop solar is growing across America, check out Rooftop Solar on the Rise.