California budget cuts are causing school districts to find ways to save cash. Instead of laying off teachers, some have invested in solar panels to slash their electricity bills by millions of dollars every year.
With the help of low-interest loans, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, for instance, installed 10,000 photovoltaic panels at five schools.
It is one of 90 districts in the sunny state that have installed solar panels to save money on utilities. After a decade or two, they will actually profit from the solar energy produced there.