Solar power now powers more than 10,800 US K-12 schools – that means 1 in 7 students goes to a school powered by the sun – but battery storage hasn’t quite caught on yet.
That’s more than 7 million students, according to the sixth edition of Generation180’s Brighter Future report, which tracks solar and battery storage at US schools. The data is current through April 2026.
The number of solar-powered schools has nearly doubled from 5,450 in 2016, while their combined solar capacity has more than tripled to over 2.4 gigawatts. Generation180 says that’s enough solar to cover the annual electricity use of more than 450,000 homes – roughly every household in Austin, Texas.
And for cash-strapped school districts, solar can mean a lot more money stays in the classroom.
Roanoke City Public Schools in Virginia, for example, is installing nearly 9.4 megawatts (MW) of solar across 29 sites. The district estimates that solar alone will save it $46.5 million in energy costs over 35 years.
“This report shows that school solar is no longer concentrated in just a few places. Urban, suburban, and rural school districts across the country are using clean energy to reduce costs, improve facilities, and prepare students for the economy of the future,” said Tish Tablan, lead report author and senior director of Generation180’s Electrify Our Schools program.
California leads the country with 2,921 solar-powered schools, followed by New Jersey, New York, Illinois, and Arizona.
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