Staunton, VA, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Secure Solar Futures, a provider of on-site solar energy to schools, hospitals, and businesses, has signed a 25-year Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) to develop 5.7 megawatts of solar power systems at eleven locations while restoring roofs at seven of those locations. The agreement will provide the school division with on-site solar power for the next three decades while providing schools with restored roofs under 25-year warranties, both at no upfront capital cost to RCPS. Over the next 35 years, the program will generate a total net savings of $46.5 million including avoided utility costs and roof replacement expenses.
This agreement builds on a prior 1.6-megawatt solar project completed in 2024, which installed solar arrays at six schools. Together, the two phases of solar development will total 7.3 megawatts across 17 locations and deliver substantial financial and environmental benefits.
Major Cost Savings and Financial Impact
Over the lifetime of the solar power systems and roof restorations, RCPS will benefit from:
- $14 million in avoided roof replacement costs (assuming $20 per square foot)
- $46.5 million in total net savings
“Our first round of solar schools has already started saving money on energy,” said Jeff Shawver, Senior Director of Physical Plants for RCPS.
For instance, a single solar-powered location, Fallon Park Elementary School, realized a 10% net savings on electricity costs from September through November 2024, a trend seen across the initial six campuses with solar installations.
“After the quick success of our first round of solar schools, we decided to expand the program to additional campuses. The second round of solar will also help us save money on energy. But it will add roof restoration that will save even more money by avoiding millions of dollars in costs to remove and replace older roofs,” Shawver said.
Secure Solar Futures will provide roof restoration at no capital cost to the schools as part of its Solar PPA-R³™ offering. The company estimates that by restoring roofs at seven locations, RCPS will avoid more than $14 million in roof replacement costs over the next 35 years, as well as avoided landfill costs of roof replacement.
High-Efficiency Solar Technology
Secure Solar Futures will install 9,766 bifacial (two-sided) solar panels, which generate power on both sides—directly from sunlight on top and on the bottom from light reflected from the roof below—increasing efficiency by 6% or more compared to traditional panels.
Construction will begin in spring 2025 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Once installed, Secure Solar Futures will own, operate, and maintain the solar equipment, selling the clean energy to RCPS at a rate lower than the cost of conventional utility power for the 25-year PPA term. At the end of the PPA term, RCPS will have the option to take ownership of the solar power systems at a nominal cost, enabling continued savings for the following decade or more.
The combined program for all 17 locations will generate 335,100,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity over their 35-year productive lifespan, an amount of energy that is equivalent to:
- Powering 46,918 average American homes for a year
- Avoiding 225,137 metric tons of CO₂ emissions
- Preventing the burning of 250,085,712 pounds of coal
- Eliminating the use of 25,333,314 gallons of gasoline
Educational and Workforce Development Benefits
“Going solar helps Roanoke City Public Schools protect their budgets against volatility in utility costs,” said Anthony Smith, CEO and Founder of Secure Solar Futures. “With new power-hungry data centers driving up electricity demand across Virginia, locking in predictable energy costs is a smart move. At the same time, these solar installations make RCPS a leader in sustainability, giving students hands-on experience with renewable energy and career pathways in the 21st-century energy economy.”
Beyond solar installation, Secure Solar Futures will provide workforce development programs to train high school students as solar power technicians, as well as educational resources, including:
- Standards-based curricula and teacher training for all grade levels
- The Throwing Solar Shade® project-based learning program, offering high school students hands-on research experience in citizen science
“With 46.5 million reasons to celebrate, Roanoke City Public Schools’ investment in solar power and roof restoration sets a model for sustainable and cost-saving energy solutions for schools across Virginia,” said Secure Futures’s CEO Smith.
About Roanoke City Schools
Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) is an urban school division in Roanoke, Virginia, serving a pre-K through 12th grade population of approximately 14,000 students. RCPS provides an inclusive and equitable, student-centered culture that empowers lifelong learning. Through meaningful, relevant, and engaging learning opportunities, we will empower all students to dream, excel, and meet their full potential to benefit our city and its citizens. The division has 17 elementary schools, five middle schools, two high schools, and five program locations, including the Roanoke Valley Governor’s School for Science & Technology and two Career & Technical Education centers. Visit www.rcps.info for additional information.
About Secure Solar Futures
As a market and policy leader, Secure Solar Futures builds, owns, manages, and funds affordable Resilient Solar Solutions® for schools, hospitals, and businesses. The company combines state-of–the-art solar technology with an innovative business model to make commercial-scale solar 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 Corporation®. Find the company online at www.securesolarfutures.com.
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Roanoke City Public Schools Media Contact:
Claire Mitzel, Director, Communications & Public Relations
O: (540) 853-6164 C: (540) 355-9035 | cmitzel@rcps.info
Secure Solar Futures Media Contact:
Erik Curren (540) 466-6128 | erik@securesolarfutures.com
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