A Virginia school district pioneers solar and battery microgrids

Roanoke City Public Schools in Virginia is set to install the state's first solar-plus-battery microgrids at its two high schools by the end of the year. Both schools double as official disaster shelters, and the batteries will keep power running during outages: solar charges the battery, the battery powers the building until it runs low, backup diesel generators kick in if needed, and the cycle repeats the next day. The project is funded partly by a state emergency management grant and a donation from solar installer Secure Solar Futures.

This builds on the district's broader solar push. It already leads Virginia in school solar, with nearly 9.4 megawatts installed or planned across 29 sites, covering 44% of the schools' energy needs. That's expected to save the district over $22 million in electric bills over 35 years and avoid $24 million in roof replacement costs, since many solar installs come bundled with new roofing.

None of this directly changes what's available to individual homeowners, but it points to a growing trend: pairing solar with battery storage for backup power during storms and outages, and using state grant programs to help pay for it. Virginia's emergency shelter grant program that helped fund Roanoke's project is currently open for applications for fiscal year 2027, with $2.5 million available — though that funding is aimed at schools and shelters, not private homes.