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University of Houston and Green Mountain Energy Company �Flip the Switch� for University�s First Solar Array
The
University of Houston is now partially powered by the sun,
thanks to Green Mountain Energy Company and its customers. Green
Mountain, Texas� first competitive retail electric provider to
offer cleaner energy, donated $140,000 to the University through
the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club to fund UH�s first solar
array system.
Green Mountain Energy� Solar at University of Houston
The new 20.24 kilowatt (kW) DC solar panel system is mounted
on the roof of the University�s Central Utility Plant, which is
located on the northeast side of campus. It will help reduce the
University of Houston�s carbon footprint and energy costs and
serve to educate students about the benefits of solar energy.
Green Mountain Vice President of Sales, Mark Lamping and the
company�s Super Earth Mascot joined UH Program Coordinator for
Sustainability, Leah Wolfthal; Steve Stelzer, City of Houston�s
Program Director of Green Building Resource Center; and UH�s
Recycle Man to officially �flip the switch� of the solar array
during a ceremonial dedication at UH. The event coincided with
the University�s Green UH Day, a campus-wide event to celebrate
and raise awareness about green initiatives and programs at the
University.
�We are thrilled that UH, a highly regarded educational
institution in Houston is the recipient of this solar array from
the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club,� said Lamping. �Green
Mountain has been serving customers throughout Houston and the
surrounding communities since 2002. Donating a solar system like
this one helps us give back to the communities where our
customers live, work, shop and play, while supporting our
mission to change the way power is made.�
The new solar panel system is the first solar array to power a
University of Houston building. The array�s 88 large
photovoltaic (PV) solar panels cover 2,000 square feet and will
convert sunlight into electricity, producing approximately
23,600 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean energy annually. It is
estimated that the solar array will save the University as much
as $300,000 over the course of its 30-year lifetime.
The solar array will also have a positive impact on the
environment. It is expected to avoid over 31,000 pounds of
carbon dioxide annually. That is equivalent to more than 9,000
houses turning off all their lights for one day, not driving
nearly 35,000 miles, taking 1,000 cars off the road for one day
or recycling 12,500 lbs of newspaper.
Green Mountain�s Sun Club, which funded the University of
Houston�s solar array, is a unique program in which Green
Mountain�s Texas customers can choose to support solar energy
installations in Texas by paying an additional $5 on their
monthly Green Mountain Energy�
electric bill. This is Green Mountain�s 32nd solar
installation through the
Sun Club since 2002 when the program
was launched.
Additionally, the Green Mountain Sun Club has previously made 11
other solar donations to Houston-area organizations including:
the Houston Zoo, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Chinquapin
School, and Houston Habitat for Humanity.
�We are very thankful to Green Mountain Energy for helping us
take this significant step in the University of Houston�s clean
energy journey to treat the earth right,� said Wolfthal.
Green Mountain Energy Company Solar Internship Program
As a result of the annual electricity savings that UH will
receive from the solar array, the University has launched the
Green Mountain Energy Company Solar Internship program. One
student intern will be paid $1,000 per academic semester from
the savings generated as a result of using the solar panels. The
internship will run through May 2012. The intern will keep track
of the solar arrays� performance, update the Green Mountain
Energy� Solar Array webpage and execute one on-campus
educational event each semester.
�We are very excited about the first-ever Green Mountain Energy
Company Solar Internship program! We look forward to hearing
about the results of the solar array�s performance and the
campus educational events,� said Lamping.
As part of the donation, an educational sign will be installed
on the UH campus to inform students about the solar array, how
it works and its environmental benefits. The solar panels were
installed by Alternative Power Solutions. The general contractor
for the project was Vaughn Construction.
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