Students learn about some of the technologies used to harness solar energy in a rooftop lab at Discovery Elementary in Arlington, Virginia. The school has a 495-kilowatt solar array.
Credit: Lincoln Barbour

In a field behind an elementary school in rural Middlesex County, Virginia, near the Chesapeake Bay, an ambitious plan has been taking shape: Schools Superintendent Peter Gretz and other local administrators are preparing to power their school district with solar energy.

By next August, Virginia-based solar developer Sun Tribe Solar expects to have an array of solar panels in place in that field that can generate enough electricity to power the county’s elementary school and middle school—at a price well below their current electricity costs—while offering students, teachers and the community a way to learn about clean energy.

“We felt it was important work for our kids, and we wanted them to see the community leading in a way that was responsible and sustainable, as well as fiscally responsible and efficient,” Gretz said.

The number of schools powered by solar is growing quickly. About […]