Green Mountain Energy and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas (RMHC-ACT) recently began installing a 10.8 kilowatt (kW) solar array on the rooftop of the new Ronald McDonald House at the Mueller redevelopment in Austin. The new Ronald McDonald House, expected to open in November 2007, is the first solar-powered Ronald McDonald House in the country and will be located adjacent to the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, 1315 Barbara Jordan Blvd.
The 10.8 kW solar facility will be built with 54 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, nearly 950 square feet, and will power up to 15 rooms in the new Ronald McDonald House. Additionally, there will be an educational kiosk located in the RMHC-ACT explaining how the solar array works and how it contributes to the building's energy efficiency.
"We are proud to be the first Ronald McDonald House in the United States to incorporate photovoltaic solar panels into our design and to set the standard for innovative ways to incorporate cleaner, renewable technologies," said Kent Burress, RMHC-ACT executive director. "The solar panels are an integral architectural feature of this new state-of-the-art Ronald McDonald House, making not only a strong visual statement but also bearing evidence to this House's commitment to sustainable design and protection of our environment."
Green Mountain Energy Company is donating and funding the installation of the solar panels for the new Ronald McDonald House through its Big Texas Sun Club®, a 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. To date, nine solar projects have been built in Texas due to the Big Texas Sun Club. When completed, The RHMC-ACT will be the 10th installed through the program and the first solar facility the company is building in Austin. The solar arrays are being installed by Austin-based Global Energy Designs. With this installation, Green Mountain's Big Texas Sun Club will be responsible for creating about 129 kW of new solar energy capacity in Texas since 2002.
"This is a great opportunity for Green Mountain Energy Company to give something back to the Austin community, our corporate home," said Paul Markovich, senior vice president of Residential Services for Green Mountain Energy Company. "Building this solar facility supports our mission to change the way power is made. We are also excited about the opportunity to support the Ronald McDonald House."
The solar array will help offset over 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, which removes the CO2 equivalent of driving over 33,000 miles -- about 85 roundtrips from Austin to Dallas. C02 is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
"Projects like the Green Mountain Energy Company/Ronald McDonald House solar installation send a strong message. They show a concern for their fellow citizens and the future of our communities and the planet," said Russel E. Smith, executive director, Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association. "Customer driven programs like Green Mountain's Big Texas Sun Club show solar in the positive light it deserves."
Construction began on the new Ronald McDonald House at the Mueller redevelopment in November 2006. Austin's new Ronald McDonald House will be built with 30 rooms to accommodate families with ill or injured children being treated in Austin area hospitals. RMHC-ACT will be one of two LEED Platinum buildings in Austin and among the first in the Southwestern U.S. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.
For more information on the project, check out the Green Mountain Energy press release.
