Commercial solar installation, Chico Unified School District

As we return to school this fall, the math on our nation's solar installations at schools is looking pretty impressive! 

SolarCity has installed solar at more than 400 school district sites across the country, bringing clean renewable electricity to rural communities and the inner city alike. The combined schools are expected to:

•  Avoid 1,775,684,554 pounds of CO2 emissions; the equivalent of 80,544 metric tons or the weight of 445 blue whales

•   Protect 3,826,905 trees per year - enough to populate Central Park 200 times

•   Conserve enough energy to power 7,547 homes every year, or the entire town of Palisades Park, New Jersey

•   Save 8,511,760,641 gallons of water in a contract's lifetime*, which is enough water to fill 13,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools

Schools are not only saving the environment but millions of dollars, which they are able to redirect into what they do best: teaching! 

For example, when we installed at Chico Unified School District, we projected that the solar production would save the California school district more than $3 million on utility bills over the 20-year term of its power purchase agreement. Further south in the Golden State, we projected savings of $325,000 in just the first year for the Lancaster and Eastside School Districts in the Antelope Valley, which together serve nearly 18,000 students in 25 schools. 

Meanwhile, the Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District, situated in California's own Fertile Crescent and serving an impoverished rural community near Fresno, is expected to save $900,000 and several million dollars over the lifetime of the solar contracts at five schools. 

With these savings the Firebaugh District was able to restore its music program, which had fallen victim to budget cuts.

"Every student needs something to connect with in school," superintendent Russell Freitas told the Fresno Bee. "This is a great opportunity to get students the chance to connect with music."

Meanwhile, SolarCity has teamed up with the National Energy Education Department (NEED) project intended to promote an energy conscious and educated society by creating effective networks of students, educators, business, government and community leaders to design and deliver objective, multi-sided energy education programs. 

The two organizations have developed a curriculum guide to help educators bring valuable energy lessons to life in their classrooms in a simple and engaging way. With climate change issues already worsening economic and civil conditions in countries around the world, the partnership aims to convey the importance of smart and responsible energy use among today's students in a way that's easily digestible, yet eye-opening.

Recently, the Solar Energy Industry Association and The Solar Foundation illuminated the nation's solar schools in a report and interactive map as well. Their findings showed that nearly 2.7 million students attend schools with solar energy systems and that collectively, our nation's solar schools have already saved more than 70 million dollars on energy costs compared to standard utility rates.

Are your city's schools solarized? Let us know what your school has done with solar savings, or if they aren't using solar yet, tell us what you'd spend the money on! 

*Note: The average lifetime of a SolarCity school contract is 20-25 years.

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