Coalfield Solar Fund Completes Construction of First Round of Solar Schools in Virginia and West Virginia

Staunton, VA, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Coalfield Solar Fund, established to help K-12 schools in historic coal-producing regions of Virginia and West Virginia adopt on-site clean energy and workforce development programs, has completed solar power systems at one school district in each state. In Virginia, Lee County Schools received 451 kilowatts of solar generating capacity, while Calhoun County Schools in West Virginia received a 600-kilowatt solar system, both completed in December 2024. Together, the schools will save $4.1 million in energy costs over 35 years. 

Each school system received a $75,000 grant from the Coalfield Solar Fund as an incentive to obtain solar energy systems and start a workforce development program to prepare their students for careers in clean energy. The Coalfield Solar Fund is a partnership of global technology company Intuit, which provided funding for grants; the National Energy Educational Development Project, which provides energy literacy programs to K-12 students; and Secure Solar Futures, which develops, maintains, and operates the solar energy systems at each school. 

"For more than a century, coalfield communities in Virginia and West Virginia produced energy to power the American economy,” said Anthony Smith, CEO and Founder of Secure Solar Futures. “Today, the Coalfield Solar Fund is bringing innovation and jobs to help these same communities power the 21st century economy starting with solar power on schools and workforce development for students.” 

Got Electric of Ijamsville, MD, the construction partner of Secure Solar Futures, installed solar panels manufactured by Jinko Solar at both school systems. 

Lee County Schools, Virginia  

Lee County Schools in Virginia received solar systems at two locations. At Dryden Elementary School located in Dryden, 544 solar panels were installed in a solar array with a generating capacity of 253 kilowatts. At Thomas Walker High School in Ewing, 426 solar panels comprise a 198-kilowatt solar system.  

Together, with a total generating capacity of 451 kilowatts, the solar power systems cover 70% of the schools’ energy usage and will save Lee County Schools $2 million in energy costs over 35 years. In their first year of solar production, Lee County Schools will produce 602,510 kilowatt hours of power, enough clean energy annually to power the equivalent of 45 homes and avoid 481 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the same amount sequestered by 483 acres of forest. 

Previously, in 2021, Secure Solar Futures developed solar power systems at five locations of Lee County Schools with a combined generating capacity of 967 kilowatts. Added to the most recent solar project, Lee County now boasts a total of 1,418 kilowatts of solar power capacity at seven locations. 

Calhoun County Schools, West Virginia  

Calhoun County Schools in West Virginia also received solar energy systems at two campuses. A solar array with 1,000 panels and a capacity of 465 kilowatts was installed at Calhoun Middle/High School in Mt. Zion. Pleasant Hill Elementary School in Grantsville received an array with 289 solar panels with a capacity of 135 kilowatts.  

With a total of 600 kilowatts of generating capacity, solar power will cover 36% of the schools’ energy usage and save $2.1 million on energy costs over 35 years. In their first year of solar production, Calhoun County Schools will produce 724,550 kilowatt hours of power, enough clean energy annually to power the equivalent of 60 homes and avoid 639 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the same amount sequestered by 641acres of forest. 

As part of a hands-on workforce development program, a high school student intern helped install solar power equipment at Calhoun County Schools. 

Power Purchase Agreements Provide Financing with No Upfront Cost 

Both school systems supported by the Coalfield Solar Fund received solar power with no upfront capital investment through a 25-year PPA with Secure Solar Futures. During the term of the agreement, the company will own and operate all solar equipment and sell the solar energy to the schools at a cost lower than the cost of grid power offered by the local electric utility. 

Calhoun County Schools is the first school district in West Virginia to complete construction and begin generating power with financing through a PPA. In 2021, West Virginia became the 29th state to allow solar PPAs. Legalized by House Bill 3310, this type of financing allows customers to install a solar power system on site without any upfront capital cost by contracting with a solar provider to operate solar equipment on the customer’s behalf. 

“Secure Solar Futures was proud to participate in the campaign to legalize PPAs in West Virginia as part of a coalition of solar companies and environmental advocates,” said Secure Solar Futures CEO Smith. “As the first school district in the state to start generating solar power under this new option, Calhoun County Schools has paved the way for other schools in West Virginia to enjoy the money savings and educational benefits of making their own energy.” 

The Coalfield Solar Fund offers grants up to $150,000 to encourage K-12 schools and community colleges in historic coal-producing communities of Virginia and West Virginia to obtain on-campus solar power with no upfront cost, in addition to offering a workforce development program for local talent. School administrators can see if their institution is in a qualifying locality, learn about the requirements for funding, and apply for an award at https://coalfieldsolarfund.org/.   

About Secure Solar Futures 

Headquartered in Staunton, VA and with offices in Charleston, WV, Secure Solar Futures serves as a market and policy leader in financing, installing, owning, and operating affordable Resilient Solar Solutions® for schools, universities, hospitals and businesses. The company combines state-of–the-art solar technology with an innovative business model to make commercial-scale solar power readily affordable in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, helping customers to realize the economic, environmental and community benefits of solar energy.  In 2017, Secure Solar Futures became a Certified B Corp®. Find the company online at www.securesolarfutures.com. 

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• Coalfield Solar Fund

Erik CurrenSecure Solar Futures(540) [email protected]