Green Mountain Energy Company: Texas — Big Texas Sun Club<sup>®</sup>: Museum of Nature & Science

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The Houston Zoo and Green Mountain Energy Company have partnered to create the Zoo’s and Texas’ first solar-powered animal exhibit. The solar array was installed in April 2008.
The Green Mountain Energy^® Solar at the Houston Zoo will help power the Zoo’s African lion exhibit — providing approximately 38 percent of the exhibit’s electrical power requirements at peak times.
Located on the roof of the Zoo’s African lion exhibit, the solar array is visible to Zoo visitors.
The array contains 36 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels that are 36” x 60” and produce 6.4 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean energy.
Each year the solar array can offset over 17,500 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that is a leading contributor 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.

Green Mountain Energy Company funded the solar display at the Houston Zoo through its Big Texas Sun Club.
The Big Texas Sun Club is a voluntary program Green Mountain customers can join for a nominal fee each month to raise funds for solar projects in Texas.
To date, 12 solar projects have been built in Texas thanks to the Big Texas Sun Club. They are collectively responsible for creating about 136 kilowatts of new solar energy capacity in Texas since 2002.

The Houston Zoo is home to two African lions: Jonathan (male) and Celesto (female).
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 Zoo is a unique educational and conservation resource serving 1.5 million guests annually.
The Zoo is home to more than 4,500 exotic animals representing more than 800 species.
The Zoo is operated by the not-for-profit Houston Zoo, Inc.
For more information, visit www.houstonzoo.org.