Eastfield College and Green Mountain Energy Company Break Ground for New Solar Array

Installation of solar panels began today at Eastfield College to commemorate Earth Day

MESQUITE, Texas – April 22, 2009 —To commemorate Earth Day 2009, Eastfield College in Mesquite and Texas-based Green Mountain Energy Company (Green Mountain) today broke ground for the school’s new solar array. The 4.4 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system will be ground mounted and will be used as a teaching tool for the school.

Green Mountain donated the solar panel system to the two-year community college that primarily serves the eastern corridor of Dallas County. It will be the first PV solar system to power a school in the Dallas County Community College District. Eastfield College is located at 3737 Motley Drive, Mesquite, Texas.

Dr. Jean Conway, Eastfield Interim President, Dr. Joy Black, Vice President, Student Success and Enrollment Management; Mr. Jim Jones, Vice President, Business Services; students from the Eastfield Science & Environmental Clubs; Lydia Miller, Market Manager for Green Mountain Energy and Andrew Lowery, Area Manager for North Texas and Oklahoma for Standard Renewable Energy were on hand for today’s groundbreaking event. The celebration took place at the future site of the solar system.

The solar array will be incorporated into the learning curriculum of several classes and help educate students about the benefits of solar energy and the technical aspects of installing an array. A web site will also be linked to the array and display real-time energy output data.

“Green Mountain Energy Company is proud to partner with Eastfield College to help educate students about solar power while promoting the overall benefits of renewable energy,” said Paul Markovich, senior vice president of Residential Services, Green Mountain Energy Company. “Green Mountain has been serving customers throughout Dallas and the surrounding communities since 2002. Donating solar systems like this one helps us give back to the communities where our customers and employees live, work, and attend school, while supporting our mission to change the way power is made.”

The Green Mountain Energy® Solar at Eastfield College will be 4.4 kilowatts (kW) and will be installed on the campus grounds near the swimming pool. It is expected to produce over 8,500 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year by converting sunlight into electricity. The solar array will consist of 24 solar panels (12 each) will offset almost 11,500 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. That’s the equivalent of planting nearly 700 trees or not driving over 12,500 miles annually (like saving an automobile trip that would travel ½ way around the globe).

Green Mountain funded Eastfield College’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 paying an additional $5 on their monthly Green Mountain Energy® electric bill (for information, visit www.bigtexassunclub.com).This is the 17th solar project built in Texas thanks to the Big Texas Sun Club. With this installation, Green Mountain’s Big Texas Sun Club will be responsible for creating more than 155 kW of new solar energy capacity in Texas since 2002.

“I would like to thank Green Mountain Energy Company for their wonderful gift to Eastfield College. This solar array attests to their investment in higher education and a cleaner earth, and is a tangible example of Eastfield's commitment to educate the community in a sustainable venue,” commented Dr. Conway.

The solar panels will be installed by Houston-based Standard Renewable Energy (SRE). This will be SRE’s 7th solar array installation for Green Mountain Energy Company and the Big Texas Sun Club. The 4.4 kW solar array is expected to be completed this summer.

Eastfield College Sustainable Projects and Plans

• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) STARS pilot program participant
• Photovoltaic Array – Pre-construction phase
  Wind Turbine – Feasibility study underway
  Green Roof – Research phase
• Recycling – Project employed and ongoing
• Rainwater Harvest – Planning completed, pre-construction phase
• Native Prairie Restoration on campus – Planning and Research Phase
• Community Garden on campus – Future Project
• Urban Forest – Planning Stage

About Earth Day
Wednesday, April 22, is the 39th annual 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 Eastfield College
Eastfield College has been serving the eastern corridor of Dallas County. Eastfield College works to provide educational opportunities through high-quality instruction, services and programs in an environment conducive to student success in academic, technical, occupational, and continuing education. Eastfield is part of the Dallas County Community College District.

About Green Mountain Energy Company
Green Mountain, the nation’s leading 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. and was ranked the highest in residential customer satisfaction with retail electric service in Texas by J.D. Power and Associates. Green Mountain offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products from renewable sources such as wind and water and carbon offset products through its BeGreen division (BeGreenNow.com). Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 4.1 million tons of CO2 emissions. For more information, visit GreenMountain.com.