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About a dozen students wearing yellow safety vests watched from the sidewalk as a 6-story-tall crane hoisted a stack of cinder blocks onto the roof of Universal Audenried Charter School in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood.
“That thing is tall,” said 18-year-old student Malakai Tim, looking up at the crane. The blocks will be used as weights to keep solar panels from blowing off the roof. “We’re planning on using the panels … for one of our projects.”
The school is one of a growing number in Pennsylvania that have installed solar panels under a state grant program that helps cover the costs.
The Solar for Schools program, first funded in 2024, has given grants to 85 schools across the state, including 10 in Philadelphia. Grants cover up to 75% of the solar project costs, or up to $900,000. Proponents say the solar will save schools money on utilities, lower their climate pollution and teach students about careers in renewable energy.
The program received $25 million in this year’s state budget.
