Microgrids Bolster Roanoke City Public Schools’ Emergency Shelter Capabilities, Lower Utility Costs

Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) in Virginia will add energy storage microgrids to two of its high school buildings, bolstering the schools’ ability to serve as resilience hubs and emergency shelters during emergencies.

The systems will leverage existing rooftop solar arrays at the school district’s two high schools—Patrick Henry High School and William Fleming High School. Each school will have 1 MW of solar generation capacity and 4 MWh of battery energy storage.

"This investment strengthens our ability to keep students and families safe, even during emergency situations,” Dr. Verletta White, superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools, said in a statement. “By adding battery storage to our existing solar infrastructure, we are increasing the resilience of our schools and ensuring Patrick Henry and William Fleming can continue serving as emergency shelters during power outages.”

Microgrid-powered resiliency hubs go mainstream

Communities and businesses are increasingly turning to microgrids when developing or expanding resilience hubs—designated sites, such as community centers, schools or churches, that are equipped to support residents during weather-related disasters and other public emergencies.

Hubs typically have solar and energy storage microgrids capable of powering heating and cooling systems, refrigerators and communications devices. They offer the community a place to gather information, food and other emergency supplies, charge devices and store refrigerated medication.

Energy resilience with no upfront costs

The RCPS microgrids will be built at no cost to the school district. Funding comes from a $450,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s (VDEM) 2026 Shelter Upgrade Assistance Fund and an additional $2.1 million investment from Secure Solar Futures, the project’s developer.

In addition to supplying energy resilience to the high schools, the grid-connected microgrids will sell energy storage services to PJM, the largest grid operator in the U.S. Such services typically include dispatching stored energy to enhance grid reliability and balance electricity supply and demand.

"The Virginia Department of Energy applauds Roanoke City Public Schools and Secure Solar Futures for pioneering the state's first solar-powered microgrid at a public school," said Vince Maiden, director of the Virginia Department of Energy’s State Energy Office. “By enhancing emergency shelter resilience and integrating renewable energy with battery storage, innovative solutions like these are critical to the clean energy transition.”

Education powered by the sun

RCPS educates some 14,000 K-12 students annually in southwest Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Soon, their schools will be partially powered by the sun.

In addition to the two microgrids, Secure Solar Futures, which builds, owns, manages and funds commercial-scale solar projects in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, is installing 10.1 MW of solar capacity at other RCPS locations, including elementary and middle schools.

The solar systems, as well as necessary roof repairs at some sites, will be completed under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

Under a PPA, the developer owns, operates, and maintains the solar system, selling the energy produced to the customer at a reduced fixed rate for the duration of the agreement.

By the end of 2026, when construction is complete, the solar systems are expected to generate almost half of the locations’ annual load. Between avoided utility and roof replacement or repair costs, the arrangement is expected to save RCPS $60.2 million over 35 years.

Additionally, the energy cost savings and revenues from market participation are expected to cover all ongoing operational and maintenance costs.

“Projects like this reflect our commitment to staying student-focused while also making smart, sustainable decisions that support our community for the long term,” White said.