Preston Park Elementary to Get 313-kW Solar System
Secure Solar Futures will build the system at no capital cost to Roanoke City Schools through a 25-year agreement.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Primary Education
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Secure Solar Futures will build a 313-kilowatt solar power system on the rooftop of Preston Park Elementary School in Roanoke, Virginia, with construction expected later in 2026. Roanoke City Schools will pay no capital cost under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement, and the school is projected to save $581,000 in net avoided electricity costs over the term.
Why it matters
The project offers Roanoke City Public Schools, which serves roughly 14,000 students from pre-K through 12th grade, a way to lower its electricity costs without upfront spending. It also shows how private renewable energy financing can be applied to public school buildings in the city.
The 313-kilowatt system uses 531 bi-facial panels made by VSUN Solar in Houston, Texas, and is projected to produce 421 megawatt hours of clean energy in its first year. The equipment is expected to last 35 to 40 years, though the projections for savings and output have not yet been tested by operating data.
The players
Secure Solar Futures
A solar developer that became a Certified B Corporation in 2017 and is partnering with Pardee Renewable Energy on the Preston Park project.
Pardee Renewable Energy LLC
A renewable energy company that has acquired interests in commercial solar photovoltaic systems in New Jersey, California, Arizona, and Virginia since 2010, and will provide most of the project's capital.
The details
Pardee Renewable Energy LLC will provide most of the capital for the project, and together with Secure Solar Futures will own, operate, and maintain the system during the agreement term. After 25 years, Roanoke City Schools may choose to take ownership of the system at a nominal cost.
Timeline
Construction of the solar system is expected later in 2026.
The Power Purchase Agreement runs for 25 years, during which the savings accrue.
At the end of the 25-year term, Roanoke City Schools may take ownership of the system at a nominal cost.
Industry Trend
The project uses a Power Purchase Agreement, a third-party financing model that lets schools host solar systems without buying them outright. Under this structure, the developer owns and maintains the equipment and sells power at a rate below the local utility's, with the school gaining the option to purchase the system after the contract ends.
For Roanoke families, the project means Preston Park students will attend a school whose electricity is offset by solar power, though households will see no direct change in their own bills. The school division's projected $581,000 in avoided costs over 25 years could free up funds for other school budget needs.
The takeaway
Third-party solar financing can let public schools cut electricity costs without capital spending, but the actual savings will depend on how the system performs over its 25-year term. Local school boards weighing similar projects should compare the projected rates against their own utility contracts.
What happens next
Construction of the solar system is expected later in 2026, with first-year production figures to follow once the system is operating.
Further reading
For more on school-level education news in the area, see Primary Education.
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