What’s Driving the News: The 2024 back to school season is starting off HOT, and it doesn’t seem to be cooling down any time soon. As students excitedly return to the classroom, schools must balance maintaining a comfortable learning environment in the face of extended warm seasons.
Why This Matters: The nation’s schools annually emit as much carbon as 18 coal plants or 8 million homes, according to an analysis of U.S. Department of Energy data by the advocacy group Generation180. But K-12 schools and district leaders across the country are in the unique position to equip students with the knowledge and preparation for a future shaped by climate change. In addition, they have considerable carbon reduction possibilities being major building owners, transportation managers, and employers. Leveraging the power of schools and their district leaders would simultaneously have significant carbon reductions as well as introduce low carbon alternatives as a norm for students.
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Community solar is a great way for schools to achieve their sustainability goals while also significantly reducing their energy costs. According to Generation180, the amount of solar installed at K-12 schools in the United States has tripled since 2015. Today, over 6 million students attend a solar-powered school, and it is not hard to see why so many school administrators are turning to solar. At the university level, it also creates unique educational opportunities to prepare college students for well-paying jobs in a fast-growing industry, such as learning how to install solar panels. Pivot Energy is currently working with the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Denver (DU) to offset the schools’ electricity consumption with on-campus and off-site net metering solar projects. At DU, the off-site projects will be used for student learning opportunities to advance the clean energy workforce. Mat Elmore, SVP Strategic Accounts at Pivot Energy, can discuss the growing role schools and workforce development have in the clean energy transition.
