Armand Bayou Nature Center receives new renewable energy system and makes Sun Club® history
HOUSTON, TX – The Green Mountain Energy™ Sun Club™ reached an important milestone today with the dedication of its 50th solar energy system to Houston area non-profit nature preserve, Armand Bayou Nature Center. The nature preserve received a donation that added three solar arrays to its campus. The rooftop installations on its boat house, admissions pavilion and education building now use renewable energy to help power its educational tours and exhibits. The Sun Club is a unique program enabling Green Mountain Energy™ Company employees and residential customers, including many in the Houston area, to donate solar power to non-profit organizations like Armand Bayou Nature Center.
MORE: Sun Club Milestone | 50 Reasons We Love About Sun Club | Reaction on social media
The Sun Club was founded in 2002, with a mission to fund, build, and promote solar power with sustainably-minded non-profits. This voluntary program gives Green Mountain customers another way to make a difference for the environment in addition to the renewable energy that powers their homes. Since its inception, Sun Club members have helped support 50 solar installations, adding more than 575 kilowatts of new solar power to the electric grid. The cumulative environmental impact of these solar installations prevents more than 887,900 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually – that’s like planting 100 trees.
“Green Mountain has been providing renewable energy to homes and businesses with the mission to change the way power is made since 1997, and the Sun Club has reflected that effort by helping to build 50 solar energy systems for non-profits,” said Tony Napolillo, Sun Club Program Manager. “One by one, we’ve worked with these incredible organizations to develop sustainable best practices, educate on renewable energy, and support the important work they do in each of their communities. This 50th dedication at Armand Bayou Nature Center is a testament to our customers’ and employee’s long-lasting commitment to solar, and we look forward to an even brighter future.”
Armand Bayou Nature Center now hosts 29 solar panels on its grounds, powering the center’s various educational programs with 8,500 kilowatt-hours of pollution-free energy and avoiding about 9,900 pounds of CO2 each year. That’s enough CO2 to fill 802,500 hard hats! An additional solar installation on the Nature Center’s boat house will charge the electric pontoon boat, the “Bayou Ranger,” used for weekend bayou tours, so visitors can explore the wetlands with the power of the sun.
“As an organization driven by the mission to preserve our natural resources and reconnect our community to nature, it is our great honor to be able to power our efforts with the help of pollution-free solar energy,” said Tom Kartrude, Executive Director of the Armand Bayou Nature Center. “We’re thrilled to become part of such an important milestone for the Sun Club and look forward to incorporating their dedication to solar energy into our core values.”
Since the Sun Club’s founding, members have helped install solar power on non-profits in 22 different cities on a variety of organizations, including two aquariums, eight schools, four zoos, 40 roofs, and seven solar-powered carts. Sun Club solar donations have helped shelter 3,000 dogs and cats annually in Leander, Texas; provide food to approximately 65,000 people a week in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and the estimated amount of CO2 avoided from the Greyston Bakery solar project in Yonkers, New York, each year weighs as much as 75,500 of their chocolate fudge brownies.
More information on this donation can be found on the Sun Club Press site.
Green Mountain EnergyTM Sun ClubTM
Green Mountain EnergyTM Sun ClubTM is a program where Green Mountain residential customers and employees have the opportunity to give back to deserving non-profit organizations through the promotion of solar power. Since the program’s founding in 2002, the Sun Club has helped install more than 575 kilowatts of solar power, preventing more than 887,900 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year. That’s like planting 100 trees every year. For more information, visit www.gmsunclub.com.
Armand Bayou Nature Center
Established in 1974, the nonprofit Armand Bayou Nature Center remains one of the largest urban wilderness preserves in the United States, protecting over 2500 acres of almost vanished native habitats. Over 370 animal species have been reported at the Nature Center, including over 220 different birds.
Armand Bayou Nature Center is located at 8500 Bay Area Blvd. near Red Bluff Road in Pasadena, TX. The Center is open Wednesday through Saturday at 9:00 AM. On Sundays the Center opens at Noon. The last admission is at 4:00 PM. The gates and parking lot close at 5:00 PM. Admission fees are $2 for seniors over 59, $4 for adults, $2 for children 4 to 12, and children under 4 are free. On the third Sunday of every month, admission to the Center is free. Visitors are encouraged to wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for changing weather conditions. More information about Armand Bayou Nature Center is available at www.abnc.org.
Green Mountain Energy Company
Green Mountain is the nation’s longest-serving renewable energy retailer and believes in using wind, sun and water for good. Founded in 1997, the company is a green power pioneer and celebrates more than 15 years delivering on the mission to “change the way power is made.” Green Mountain offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity, as well as carbon offsets and sustainable solutions for businesses. One of Green Mountain’s largest customers is the “world’s most famous office building,” the Empire State Building in New York City. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid more than 24.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Visit us online at www.greenmountain.com.
###
