Westtown School Goes Solar
February 2026
Photo Credit: Westtown School
This past fall, Westtown School announced the completion of a 2.1-megawatt solar array installed on its campus. Now fully operational, the array supplies approximately 90-91% of the school's annual electricity needs, generating more than 3 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy each year. The system features 550-watt bifacial solar panels, which collect energy from both the front and rear surfaces, and are mounted on a single-axis tracking system that follows the sun from east to west throughout the day, maximizing energy production.
Sustainability is one of the three core pillars of Westtown School's Quaker mission, and this project represents a significant step toward fulfilling that commitment. Prior to installing the array, the school purchased renewable energy credits (RECs) to offset its electricity use. While RECs allow organizations to claim the environmental benefits of renewable energy generated elsewhere, they do not directly increase the amount of renewable energy on the local grid. By producing clean energy on site, the solar array enables Westtown to move beyond offsets and reduce reliance on Pennsylvania's grid, which is powered primarily by natural gas and nuclear energy, with smaller contributions from coal and renewable sources.
To bring the project to life, Westtown partnered with Evolution Energy, an energy consulting firm that helped identify the optimal location on campus and solicit proposals from developers. BioStar Renewables was ultimately selected to develop the array on an eight-acre portion of an existing farm field. The developer worked closely with Westtown Township to ensure compliance with local regulations and engaged neighboring residents to discuss the project and address questions.
Westtown entered into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), under which Clean Energy Ventures owns and maintains the solar panels while the school provides the land and purchases the electricity the system produces. This arrangement allows Westtown to achieve its goal of transitioning to renewable electricity with minimal impact on its overall energy costs.
Although the array is newly operational, it is already serving as a valuable educational resource. The school's facilities team offers informational sessions to lower and middle school students, explaining how the solar panels work and why renewable energy is important. Older students are beginning to incorporate the array into capstone projects and coursework, using it as a real-world example of sustainability, engineering, and climate action in practice.