Unionville High School in Kennett Square flipped the switch on a new 650-kilowatt rooftop solar array on September 25, and district officials expect it to shave roughly $75,000 a year off energy costs. Meanwhile, across the region in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighborhood, Universal Audenried Charter High School is preparing its roof for installation of a planned 350-kilowatt system, one that doubles as a hands-on classroom for engineering students learning to connect, disconnect and service solar panels.
The two projects are among dozens funded through Pennsylvania's Solar for Schools program, which has awarded grants to 85 schools statewide, including 10 in Philadelphia, since it was first funded in 2024, according to WHYY. At Unionville, the more than 900 panels now installed on the high school roof are expected to cover about one quarter of the school and district office's energy needs, with a payback period of around seven years and estimated savings topping $1 million over 25 years, the outlet reports.
James Whitesel, director of facilities for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District, said the state grant made the decision easy. “The state grant made the solar project an obvious choice,” Whitesel said, per the same report. The district's award, $299,580 according to a separate state tally from the Philadelphia Inquirer, was part of a broader round in which Pennsylvania officials approved 25 solar-panel grants totaling $22.6 million for schools across Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester and Delaware counties.
Students Get a Front-Row Seat to the Grid
Unionville students will be able to visit the rooftop system and track real-time solar power production data as part of their coursework, according to WHYY's reporting. The lesson carries some regional weight: nearly 60% of the electricity mix on the local grid is still produced using natural gas and coal, the outlet notes, and district officials expect the new array to lower the schools' carbon emissions.
At Universal Audenried, the payoff is designed to be even more direct. The charter high school is building a rooftop array that will cover roughly 40% to 50% of its electricity needs, and it plans to create a solar lab with Solar States that will collect real-time data on the energy the panels generate. Principal Josh Anderson said the educational angle was a major reason the school pursued the Solar for Schools grant in the first place, telling WHYY the project supports sustainability alongside cost savings.
Two Audenried students, 18-year-old Malakai Tim and 17-year-old Richie Palillero, are among those expected to benefit from the hands-on training the array will provide, per WHYY's account. Micah Gold-Markel, who is involved in the installation, told the outlet that the crane operator on the job makes about $80 an hour and that roof workers installing the solar panels will make $100 an hour — a glimpse at the kind of trade wages the program is meant to showcase for students eyeing renewable-energy careers.
How the Financing Pencils Out
Universal Audenried expects to pay around $100,000 out of pocket for its solar project, with the rest covered by a state grant covering half the cost and a 40% federal tax credit, according to WHYY. That financing structure is projected to deliver a payback period of just one to two years, far faster than Unionville's roughly seven-year timeline, though the two schools' systems differ significantly in scale and cost.
Pennsylvania's Solar for Schools program can now cover up to 75% of a project's total cost, with individual grants capped at $900,000, and it received another $25 million in the 2026 state budget, WHYY reports. The program provides grants through the state Department of Community and Economic Development to lower the price of installing solar systems, according to a separate account from News From The States, which also reported that eligible districts can enter power-purchase agreements with solar developers to secure lower, fixed energy rates. That outlet notes the grants are meant to support Pennsylvania's transition to renewable energy while also addressing rising electricity demand tied to data centers.
Demand for the funding has consistently outpaced supply. In its first year, the program received applications requesting three times more money than was available, according to Spotlight PA, which reported that 45 school districts and other school entities ultimately received grants ranging from $40,000 to $500,000. Because the grants are reimbursement-based, Spotlight PA notes, a school that doesn't move forward with construction won't receive the state funding it was awarded.
Other Pennsylvania Districts Chase Bigger Savings
Unionville and Audenried are hardly alone in betting on solar. The Steelton-Highspire district now offsets 100% of its annual energy consumption with solar panels and projects savings of up to $1.6 million over 20 years, the Inquirer reports. Octorara School District, meanwhile, approved a 10-acre solar array expected to provide more than 100% of its electricity needs and save at least $20 million over the life of the panels, according to LNP | LancasterOnline, which quoted Octorara Superintendent Steven Leever warning that delaying the project could cost the district about $100,000 a month in potential savings.
Those bigger numbers underscore what advocates say the Solar for Schools program is ultimately chasing: lower utility bills and reduced climate pollution, paired with classroom exposure to renewable-energy careers. For now, Unionville and Universal Audenried offer two smaller-scale but concrete examples of how that state investment is translating into rooftops, wiring and, for a handful of Philadelphia-area students, a paycheck-worthy skill set.
