Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) has been awarded a grant from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) to upgrade its emergency shelter capacity at Patrick Henry High School and William Fleming High School by building a solar-powered microgrid with a battery energy storage system. Generating power from the sun and storing it in batteries for future use, the microgrid will be the first of its kind to be located at a public school division in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The VDEM 2026 Shelter Upgrade Assistance Fund will provide $450,000 to be matched by a $2.1 million investment from Secure Solar Futures, the developer of the project. With total outside financing of $2.55 million, the project will be completed at no cost to the schools. Once it is completed, the microgrid will also not require any funds from RCPS to operate, as costs will be covered by energy savings and revenues gained by providing energy storage services to the Mid-Atlantic (PJM) grid.
“Preparedness is about planning ahead, and this grant reflects the commitment to safeguarding communities when they need it most,” said VDEM Director of Grant Management and Recovery Robbie Coates. “This will ensure that the city will have an alternate power source at their shelter, should they need to use it during an emergency.”…