At the University of the District of Columbia, “Turning Potential into Power” is more than a slogan; it is quite literally happening every day on the rooftops of its Van Ness campus, where rows of solar panels convert sunlight into electricity for the university and financial support for its students.
Led by UDC’s College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES), the rooftop solar project is part of a first-of-its-kind initiative that uses 100% of the revenue generated by a university’s solar installation to directly fund scholarships.
The inaugural cohort of Solar for All Scholarship recipients includes three UDC undergraduates: Simone Peacock, pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration; Rebecca Salmeron, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts; and Ryana Goldson, pursuing a Bachelor of Science. Each received $8,000 through the program.
Turning Sunny Days Into Brighter Futures
The project began with a grant from the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment through its Solar for All initiative. Awarded in 2019, the funding supported building upgrades and the installation of the rooftop solar system at the university.
As of 2026, 445 panels atop two campus buildings now have a generating capacity of 200.3 kilowatts. The electricity feeds directly into UDC’s electrical system, reducing the amount of power the university would otherwise purchase.
The panels also generate solar renewable energy credits, or SRECs. One SREC represents the renewable energy value of one megawatt-hour (MWh) of solar electricity. Utilities and other entities purchase SRECs to help meet renewable energy requirements.
UDC works with District-based Sol Systems to manage and sell its SRECs, with proceeds directed to the UDC Foundation for student scholarships and an accompanying endowment.
Since the full system became operational in January 2024, UDC has generated more than 505 MWh of solar electricity and received more than $175,000 in SREC revenue.
In July 2025, UDC and the UDC Foundation formally established the Solar for All Scholarship Account and Solar for All Endowment Fund. Under the agreement, SREC revenue first supports annual scholarship awards, with additional funds directed to an endowment whose earnings can support future scholarships.
The program provides at least three scholarships of up to $8,000 each. Eligible students must be District residents with demonstrated financial need and meet income and academic requirements. The scholarship is open across undergraduate disciplines rather than being limited to students studying sustainability or related fields.
“At UDC, innovation fuels opportunity. And thanks to the sun, that opportunity is shining brighter than ever,” said CAUSES Dean Dwane Jones. “These scholarships are exciting examples of how UDC is delivering on its promise as a model of urban student success.”
Looking Toward the Horizon
The initiative builds on UDC’s longstanding role as the nation’s only exclusively urban land-grant university, connecting campus infrastructure, applied sustainability work and direct benefits for students.
CAUSES is also looking at what could come next. Andre Luis de Souza Coelho, project specialist in CAUSES’ Center for Urban Resilience, Innovation & Infrastructure, said the university is exploring solar photovoltaic systems alongside green roof and rooftop farming to examine how renewable energy generation, stormwater management and food production might work together.
“What’s exciting about this project is how much good can come from just one roof,” said de Souza Coelho. “It can generate renewable energy, support students and give us a place to study how to put rooftops to their best use in a dense urban environment.”
The system is already generating electricity, lowering energy costs, supporting education and research, and creating scholarship dollars.
What begins as sunshine on a UDC building is helping create opportunity for the students inside.