Solar for Schools cuts Philly-area schools’ utility bills

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes · Last updated: 27 September 2026

By September 26, 2026, Pennsylvania’s Solar for Schools program had awarded grants to 85 schools (10 in Philadelphia) to defray rooftop solar installations. The program, first funded in 2024, received $25 million in this year’s state budget and offers grants that cover up to 75% of project costs or up to $900,000. Two recently installed systems include a 350-kilowatt solar array at Universal Audenried Charter School and a 650-kilowatt array at Unionville High School; together they total about 1,000 kW. As first reported by WHYY, district officials and installers say the arrays cut utility spending and provide hands-on learning for students.

“The state grant almost made it like a no‑brainer to do it,” Whitesel said.

James Whitesel

How Solar for Schools funds rooftop arrays

Solar for Schools, first funded in 2024, offers matching grants to K–12 districts across Pennsylvania and has approved projects for 85 schools, including 10 in Philadelphia. Grants can cover up to 75% of a project’s cost or provide up to $900,000 per project; this year’s state budget included a $25 million appropriation for the program. Districts apply for funding and then work with installers; at Universal Audenried Charter School the installer is Solar States, whose founder Micah Gold-Markel is overseeing the rooftop work.

The program’s structure combines state grant support with the federal investment tax credit where eligible. At Audenried the state grant covered half the project cost and a 40% federal tax credit applied, lowering the school’s out‑of‑pocket expense to around $100,000, Solar States’ founder said. That blended funding model is the primary lever making many districts able to proceed without taking on large capital burdens.

Project economics at Audenried and Unionville

Universal Audenried Charter School is installing a 350-kilowatt solar array that installers estimate will meet roughly 40% to 50% of the school’s electricity consumption. With the state grant covering half the cost and a 40% federal tax credit applied, Micah Gold-Markel of Solar States says Audenried will pay about $100,000 and that the project should pay for itself in one to two years based on energy savings.

Unionville High School’s new 650-kilowatt rooftop system — built from over 900 panels — is expected to provide about a quarter of the high school and district office’s electricity. James Whitesel, Unionville Chadds Ford School District’s director of facilities, estimates the district will save roughly $75,000 per year, reach payback in around seven years, and save over $1 million across 25 years. Those timelines reflect local electricity prices, grant levels, and system production assumptions the districts and installers used in budgeting.

Learning, jobs and on‑site training from rooftop arrays

District leaders say education and workforce development were central to pursuing grants. Universal Audenried plans a “solar lab” so students in engineering career and technical education classes can gather real‑time production data and learn to connect, disconnect and service panels. Principal Josh Anderson described the curricular value as a major motivator for the project, and seniors have already watched roof work and data demonstrations.

Installers and classroom visits also make pay rates visible: Micah Gold‑Markel pointed students to the crane operator and said that person was making about $80 an hour, while roof workers installing the panels would earn about $100 an hour. Students such as 18‑year‑old Malakai Tim and 17‑year‑old Richie Palillero told reporters they were curious about solar work and saw the installations as a pathway into hands‑on technical careers.

What could move this either way

The bottom line

Pennsylvania’s Solar for Schools program has turned state and federal incentives into working rooftop systems that reduce utility spending and create local training opportunities. The two recent installations — a 350‑kilowatt array at Universal Audenried and a 650‑kilowatt system at Unionville, together about 1,000 kW — illustrate the program’s typical tradeoffs: larger systems yield steady multi‑decade savings but require more capital and longer paybacks, while smaller, heavily subsidised projects can pay for themselves in a year or two. Continued state funding and predictable system performance will determine how many more districts can follow these examples.

What to watch

• Watch for the rollout of the planned “solar lab” at Universal Audenried; no date has been set.
• Watch for additional Solar for Schools grant approvals and new school announcements; no date has been set.
• Watch for next state budget discussions that could adjust the Solar for Schools appropriation; no date has been set.