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Houston Zoo and Green Mountain Energy Company Celebrate Earth Day by Flipping Switch For New Solar Array
Houston Zoo and Green Mountain Energy Company Celebrate Earth Day by Flipping Switch For New Solar Array
Solar array first for animal exhibit at a Texas zoo
HOUSTON, Texas — April 22, 2008 — To commemorate Earth Day 2008, the Houston Zoo and Green Mountain Energy Company today unveiled the Zoo’s first solar array. The installation is the first solar array to power an exhibit at a zoo in Texas.
The Green Mountain Energy® Solar at the Houston Zoo is 6.4 kilowatts (kW) and will help power the Zoo’s African lion exhibit. The array will provide approximately 38 percent of the exhibit’s electrical power requirements at peak times. The photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are mounted on the roof of the African lion exhibit, where they are visible from the African wild dog exhibit.
Houston Zoo Director Rick Barongi, Green Mountain executives, and Cris Eugster, Ph.D., Houston Mayor Bill White’s Chief Officer for Sustainable Growth participated in today’s solar exhibit unveiling. Houston-area school children and Green Mountain’s Super Earth mascot “flipped the switch” to officially power the new Lion House solar exhibit.
“Green Mountain Energy Company is proud to partner with the Houston Zoo to help expose and educate the Zoo’s 1.5 million annual visitors about solar energy,” said Paul Markovich, senior vice president, Residential Services for Green Mountain Energy Company. "Building this solar facility supports our mission to change the way power is made.”
Green Mountain funded the Zoo’s new solar array 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, for information, visit www.greenmountain.com/sunclub. To date, 12 solar projects have been built in Texas thanks to the Big Texas Sun Club. With this installation, Green Mountain’s Big Texas Sun Club is responsible for creating about 136 kW of new solar energy capacity in Texas since 2002. Green Mountain is Texas’ only retail electric provider dedicated to cleaner electricity
“The Houston Zoo is delighted by this generous contribution from Green Mountain Energy Company,” said Houston Zoo Director Rick Barongi. “The Houston Zoo provides a fun, unique, and inspirational experience fostering appreciation, knowledge, and care for the natural world. Protecting the environment is a key part of the zoo’s mission of wildlife conservation for generations to come.”
The Zoo’s solar array was built with 36 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels that are each about 36 inches wide and 60 inches long. These panels convert sunlight into electricity, producing 6.4 kW of clean energy, enough energy to power an average home in Houston using about 1,000 kWh per month for a year. Each year, this solar array can offset over 17,500 lbs. of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that is a leading cause of global warming. That’s equivalent to not driving over 19,000 miles a year, planting more than 1,000 trees or recycling over 44,000 aluminum cans.
At the heart of the Houston Zoo’s conservation mission is the preservation of biological diversity — the survival of species and their natural habitats. Whether the species are rare, endangered or even common, residing in shrinking habitats or vast untouched regions, the Zoo’s goal is to help sustain their populations and to preserve as much of the natural world as possible in doing so. To achieve these goals, the Houston Zoo supports a number of regional and international conservation efforts including diamondback terrapins along the Gulf Coast, black rhinos in Africa, amphibians in Panama, and both orangutans and elephants in Malaysia.
About Earth Day
Tuesday, April 22, is Earth Day, an event many people will celebrate by focusing on ways to reduce, reuse and recycle to help conserve energy and reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Earth Day began in 1970 as an annual day to recognize the wonders and beauty of our planet and has grown into a week-long — and in some cases, month-long — celebration.
About Green Mountain Energy Company
Green Mountain, the nation’s leading provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, began in 1997 with a simple idea: “to change the way power is made.” The company offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products using renewable sources such as wind, water and solar that help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the air. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions.
About the Houston Zoo
Founded in 1922, the Houston Zoo is an exciting live animal adventure that provides a unique educational and conservation resource serving 1.5 million guests annually. Set in a 55-acre lush tropical landscape, the Zoo is home to more than 4,500 exotic animals representing more than 800 species. Operated by the not-for-profit Houston Zoo, Inc., the Houston Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species, the provision of engaging educational opportunities and the creation of stimulating exhibits that broaden the experiences of our guests and encourage their curiosity.
The Houston Zoo is located at 1513 North MacGregor. The Zoo is open daily during Central Standard Time (CST) from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. with the last ticket sold at 5 p.m. Regular admission is $10 for adults, $5.75 for seniors, $5 for children ages 2-11 and FREE for children under 2. Visit the courtesy booth at your neighborhood Fiesta Mart and purchase an adult Zoo admission for $8 and a child Zoo admission for $4. Zoo memberships start at only $55. For information on all the great benefits of becoming a Zoo member call (713) 533-6713 or visit our web site at www.houstonzoo.org.
HOUSTON, Texas — April 22, 2008 — To commemorate Earth Day 2008, the Houston Zoo and Green Mountain Energy Company today unveiled the Zoo’s first solar array. The installation is the first solar array to power an exhibit at a zoo in Texas.
The Green Mountain Energy® Solar at the Houston Zoo is 6.4 kilowatts (kW) and will help power the Zoo’s African lion exhibit. The array will provide approximately 38 percent of the exhibit’s electrical power requirements at peak times. The photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are mounted on the roof of the African lion exhibit, where they are visible from the African wild dog exhibit.
Houston Zoo Director Rick Barongi, Green Mountain executives, and Cris Eugster, Ph.D., Houston Mayor Bill White’s Chief Officer for Sustainable Growth participated in today’s solar exhibit unveiling. Houston-area school children and Green Mountain’s Super Earth mascot “flipped the switch” to officially power the new Lion House solar exhibit.
“Green Mountain Energy Company is proud to partner with the Houston Zoo to help expose and educate the Zoo’s 1.5 million annual visitors about solar energy,” said Paul Markovich, senior vice president, Residential Services for Green Mountain Energy Company. "Building this solar facility supports our mission to change the way power is made.”
Green Mountain funded the Zoo’s new solar array 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, for information, visit www.greenmountain.com/sunclub. To date, 12 solar projects have been built in Texas thanks to the Big Texas Sun Club. With this installation, Green Mountain’s Big Texas Sun Club is responsible for creating about 136 kW of new solar energy capacity in Texas since 2002. Green Mountain is Texas’ only retail electric provider dedicated to cleaner electricity
“The Houston Zoo is delighted by this generous contribution from Green Mountain Energy Company,” said Houston Zoo Director Rick Barongi. “The Houston Zoo provides a fun, unique, and inspirational experience fostering appreciation, knowledge, and care for the natural world. Protecting the environment is a key part of the zoo’s mission of wildlife conservation for generations to come.”
The Zoo’s solar array was built with 36 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels that are each about 36 inches wide and 60 inches long. These panels convert sunlight into electricity, producing 6.4 kW of clean energy, enough energy to power an average home in Houston using about 1,000 kWh per month for a year. Each year, this solar array can offset over 17,500 lbs. of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that is a leading cause of global warming. That’s equivalent to not driving over 19,000 miles a year, planting more than 1,000 trees or recycling over 44,000 aluminum cans.
At the heart of the Houston Zoo’s conservation mission is the preservation of biological diversity — the survival of species and their natural habitats. Whether the species are rare, endangered or even common, residing in shrinking habitats or vast untouched regions, the Zoo’s goal is to help sustain their populations and to preserve as much of the natural world as possible in doing so. To achieve these goals, the Houston Zoo supports a number of regional and international conservation efforts including diamondback terrapins along the Gulf Coast, black rhinos in Africa, amphibians in Panama, and both orangutans and elephants in Malaysia.
About Earth Day
Tuesday, April 22, is Earth Day, an event many people will celebrate by focusing on ways to reduce, reuse and recycle to help conserve energy and reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Earth Day began in 1970 as an annual day to recognize the wonders and beauty of our planet and has grown into a week-long — and in some cases, month-long — celebration.
About Green Mountain Energy Company
Green Mountain, the nation’s leading provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, began in 1997 with a simple idea: “to change the way power is made.” The company offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products using renewable sources such as wind, water and solar that help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the air. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions.
About the Houston Zoo
Founded in 1922, the Houston Zoo is an exciting live animal adventure that provides a unique educational and conservation resource serving 1.5 million guests annually. Set in a 55-acre lush tropical landscape, the Zoo is home to more than 4,500 exotic animals representing more than 800 species. Operated by the not-for-profit Houston Zoo, Inc., the Houston Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species, the provision of engaging educational opportunities and the creation of stimulating exhibits that broaden the experiences of our guests and encourage their curiosity.
The Houston Zoo is located at 1513 North MacGregor. The Zoo is open daily during Central Standard Time (CST) from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. with the last ticket sold at 5 p.m. Regular admission is $10 for adults, $5.75 for seniors, $5 for children ages 2-11 and FREE for children under 2. Visit the courtesy booth at your neighborhood Fiesta Mart and purchase an adult Zoo admission for $8 and a child Zoo admission for $4. Zoo memberships start at only $55. For information on all the great benefits of becoming a Zoo member call (713) 533-6713 or visit our web site at www.houstonzoo.org.
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