Richmond, Virginia—Superintendent Peter Gretz of the Fluvanna County Schools, a rural school district in a red-shaded purple county, has written an op-ed for the Virginia Mercury encouraging rural school districts to adopt Fluvanna’s practice of siting solar arrays on the top of their school buildings. In his op-ed, Gretz cited a variety of benefits that have come from Fluvanna’s decision to add solar to its schools in 2020. The Fluvanna array helps the Commonwealth meet its clean energy goals and helps the school district contain its energy costs, money that can be directed back towards supporting teachers, students, and staff. Gretz also notes the role that schools play as community centers in rural areas and how solar panels help create a resilient energy source that can serve the community when the grid goes down. Finally, he writes, there are direct benefits for students, who get a STEM lab education in real time by helping monitor the panels. 

“We applaud the Fluvanna schools for their forward thinking when it comes to building a sustainable energy future, and join his call for the General Assembly to proactively help rural schools pivot to solar,” said LaTwyla Mathias, Executive Director at Progress Virginia. “Only 4% of schools are currently using solar, and this is a missed opportunity, especially in rural areas where schools are so central to the life of the community. We encourage our elected officials to keep working to encourage this kind of creative thinking by our public institutions as we work together to meet our clean energy goals.”

From “A Brighter Future for Virginia’s Rural Schools” by Peter Gretz  (Virginia Mercury, April 23, 2025)

• “Two bills, House Bill 1934 and Senate Bill 1192, passed the Virginia General Assembly this session with overwhelming bipartisan support. Both bills provide a way for schools to significantly reduce their electric bills with rooftop solar.  Putting rooftop solar on our rural schools is cost-effective, pollution-free, and provides a locally-made source of power. Though largely untapped as a community-based solution, solar can be installed on schools much more quickly than a big power plant can be built to meet energy needs. It’s an immediate opportunity to equip school systems to maximize savings and  fund critical educational tools for Virginia’s students.”
• “With more than 2,250 public school buildings in Virginia, only 4% are currently benefiting from generating energy with solar arrays on their rooftops. The potential savings for Virginia’s schools is enormous! In Fluvanna, we’ve realized nearly 25% in actual energy cost savings since going solar in 2020.”
• “Virginia is on the path to an affordable, sustainable energy future that uses every energy lever at our disposal. Prioritizing solar installations for schools through HB 1934 and SB 1192 ensures Virginia stays on that path. It supports our schools, our students, and our state’s economy. Virginia’s public schools are ready to do their part, and the governor’s signature on these bills would make it all possible.”