Green Mountain Energy Company Presents Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity with $140,000 to Fund First Solar Array

Solar array system believed to be first to help power Habitat for Humanity affiliate building in the U.S.

 

 

DALLAS – Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity and Austin-based Green Mountain Energy Company today announced plans for the organization’s first solar array. Green Mountain presented Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity with a check for $140,000 to fund the building’s new solar panel system.

 

Green Mountain Energy Company presents Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity with $140,000 to fund its first solar array. Pictured here: Kelly Brcka, director of Sales, Green Mountain and Bill Hall, CEO, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity.

 

The solar photovoltaic (PV) system will help reduce Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity’s energy use and carbon footprint, as well as educate building visitors about the benefits of solar energy. The solar array system will be installed on the roof of the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, which is located at 2800 N. Hampton Rd., Dallas. The solar array is believed to be the first-ever installed on the office building and ReStore location for any Habitat for Humanity affiliate in the United States. There are over 1,500 separate affiliates of Habitat for Humanity in the U.S. alone.

 

“Green Mountain Energy Company is especially proud to donate the solar array system to Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, an organization that’s dedicated to creating affordable housing opportunities, revitalizing neighborhoods, as well as building green homes,” said Kelly Brcka, director of Sales, Green Mountain Energy Company.  “Green Mountain has been serving customers throughout the Dallas Metroplex since 2002. Donating solar systems like this one helps us give back to the communities where our customers live, work, shop and play, while supporting our mission to ‘change the way power is made.’”

 

Green Mountain is funding Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity’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 contributing an additional $5 on their monthly Green Mountain Energy® electricity bill (for information, visit https://www.greenmountainenergysunclub.com/about/). The mission of the Big Texas Sun Club is to fund, build and promote solar power in Texas while assisting organizations with a socially responsible focus to reduce their environmental footprint.

 

“We are extremely proud of our green building efforts in our Habitat communities, and are grateful to Green Mountain for providing this opportunity to make our office more energy efficient,” remarked Bill Hall, CEO, Dallas Area Habitat.  “Their generosity will enable us to reduce our own environmental footprint, as well as enjoy substantial energy savings.”

 

An informative sign about the array and information about solar energy will be placed inside the lobby to help educate visitors about solar energy and its importance. A monitoring web site will also be linked to the array to display real-time energy output data that anyone with Internet access can view.

 

The solar panels will be installed by Alternative Power Solutions Corporation.  Construction on the solar system is expected to be completed by fall.

 

Green Mountain installed a 1.2 kW solar array on a Dallas Habitat for Humanity home in 2005. It was the first solar array to be installed on a Dallas Habitat for Humanity home.

 

Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity is committed to Green Building Standards. The award-winning standard of building is often superior to typical building in terms of quality of materials and the practices employed by Habitat’s construction and volunteer teams. The "green building" effort started in 2004 and has been expanded to include the latest in green building practices. Over time, Habitat saves its families money in both maintenance and utility expenses. Since 2004, all new homes are Energy Star Certified resulting in minimized impact on the environment.

 

About Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity

Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity transforms neighborhoods by engaging families and community partners in creating affordable housing. Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity’s vision is that all individuals and families live in thriving neighborhoods where hopes and dreams are realized for generations to come because poverty housing is socially, politically and spiritually unacceptable. Since 1986, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity has served more than 850 low-income families using homeownership as an anchor for hope, change, and fellowship resulting in an investment of approximately $95 million in more than 20 neighborhoods of Dallas County that adds $2 million annually to Dallas County tax rolls. Dallas Habitat is one of the largest affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International in the United States. For more information, visit dallasareahabitat.org.

 
About Green Mountain Energy Company

Green Mountain, the nation’s leading competitive retail provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, was founded in 1997 to “change the way power is made.” The company is the longest serving green power marketer in the U.S. Green Mountain offers consumers and businesses the choice of clean electricity products from renewable sources, such as wind, as well as a variety of carbon offset products. Green Mountain’s largest customer is the “world’s most famous office building,” the Empire State Building in New York City. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 11.3 billion pounds of CO2 emissions. As a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG), Green Mountain is back by one of the nation’s largest renewable power producers. For more information, visit GreenMountain.com.