Eastfield College partners with Green Mountain Energy on solar array

It is estimated that the array will save the college more than $100,000 in electricity costs over its 30-year lifetime.

Eastfield College in Mesquite and Green Mountain Energy Company today unveiled the campus’ new solar array. It is the first photovoltaic (PV) solar system to power a school in the Dallas County Community College District. The solar system is ground mounted and will be used as a teaching tool for the college.

Texas-based Green Mountain donated the 4.4 kilowatt (kW) solar panel system to the two-year community college that primarily serves the eastern corridor of Dallas County -- Mesquite, Garland, and East Dallas. The Green Mountain Energy® Solar at Eastfield College was installed on the campus grounds near the swimming pool.

The solar array is 380 square feet and contains 24 solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity producing over 8,500 kWh of clean energy annually. It is estimated that the array will save the college more than $100,000 in electricity costs over its 30-year lifetime. Additionally, the solar system will offset almost 11,500 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. That’s as much as nearly 700 trees would absorb in one year or not driving over 12,500 miles annually.

Green Mountain funded Eastfield College’s new solar array through its Big Texas Sun Club®, 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 (for information, visit www.bigtexassunclub.com).This is the 17th solar project built in Texas thanks to the Big Texas Sun Club. With this installation, Green Mountain’s Big Texas Sun Club will be responsible for creating more than 156 kW of new solar energy capacity in Texas since 2002.

The solar array is being incorporated into the learning curriculum of several classes and will help educate students about the benefits of solar energy and the technical aspects of installing an array. A website will also be linked to the array and display real-time energy output data. Classes at Eastfield College started on Aug. 24.

The solar panels were installed by Houston-based Standard Renewable Energy (SRE). This was SRE’s 7th solar array installation for Green Mountain and the Big Texas Sun Club.

Source: Eastfield College