# BRIT and Green Mountain Energy Company “Flip Switch” for new 3-Kilowatt Solar Array - Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/06/brit-and-green-mountain-energy-company-flip-switch-for-new-3-kilowatt-solar-array/ - Published: 2011-06-02T15:28:56-04:00 - Author: greenlivingguy FORT WORTH, TEXAS — The Botanical Research Institute of Texas’ (BRIT’s) _[http://www.brit.org/ ](http://www.brit.org/ ); _new headquarters in the Fort Worth Cultural District is now being powered partly by the sun, thanks to Austin-based Green Mountain Energy Company and its customers. Green Mountain, Texas’ first competitive retail electric provider to offer cleaner energy, donated $130,000 through its Big Texas Sun Club^(®) to help fund the 52 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Green Mountain Energy® Solar at BRIT will help reduce the building’s commercial energy use and carbon footprint, as well as educate people visiting BRIT about the benefits of solar energy. “Green Mountain is especially pleased and proud to make a donation toward the photovoltaic system for BRIT, an organization that’s dedicated to conserving our natural heritage and educating the public about the value of plants,” said Kelly Brcka, director of Residential Sales, Green Mountain Energy Company. “Green Mountain has been serving customers throughout the Fort Worth metropolitan-area since 2002. Donating to help build solar systems like this one allows 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.” **Solar Dedication**** ** **BRIT’s president and director, Dr. S. H. Sohmer (Ph.D., FLS), and Green Mountain’s director of Residential Sales, Kelly Brcka**joined **Green Mountain’s** **Super Earth mascot** to “flip the switch” of the solar array today during a ceremonial dedication at BRIT’s new headquarters. The new 70,000-square-foot campus is located at 1700 N. University Dr., Fort Worth, Texas. “The solar photovoltaic system is a key energy saving component that helps demonstrate BRIT’s commitment to sustainable design and environmental responsibility,” says Dr. S. H. Sohmer (Ph.D., FLS), BRIT’s president and director.  “We are pleased and honored that [Green Mountain Energy](https://greenlivingguy.com/2010/11/nrg-energy-acquires-green-mountain-energy-firm/) Company, through its Big Texas Sun Club^(®) solar donation program, is helping us achieve our sustainability and conservation goals.” BRIT’s headquarters is designed to achieve the platinum certification in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED^(®) (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ which would be the first such building in Tarrant County, the second in North Texas and the eighth in Texas. **Green Mountain Energy® Solar at BRIT**** ** The solar photovoltaic (PV) system was manufactured by Solyndra. The cylindrical- designed tubes of the  PV system were installed on the Archive Block roof of the BRIT facility and will help reduce the building’s energy use and carbon footprint, as well as educate visitors about the benefits of solar energy. The cylindrical tube design uses innovative cylindrical copper indium germanium diselenide (CIGS modules) and thin-film technology. The BRIT photovoltaic system was built with 285 solar panels.  Each panel is made up of 40 individual modules, wired in parallel for high current, which capture sunlight across a 360-degree PV surface capable of converting direct, diffuse and reflected sunlight into electricity. _Green Mountain Energy_ Solar at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas is expected to produce more than 65,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year by converting sunlight into pollution-free electricity. Together, the 285 large solar panels will be nearly 6.000 square feet and are expected to help avoid as much as 84,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO_(2)) each year. That’s the equivalent of not driving over 86,800 miles annually, or 362 one way road trips from Dallas to Houston. An informative sign about the photovoltaic system and information about solar energy will be placed inside the building lobby to help educate patrons on 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. **Big Texas Sun Club®**** ** Green Mountain helped fund BRIT’s new photovoltaic system through its _Big Texas [Sun Club](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/10/sun-club-launches-new-york-chapter-for-donations-with-gme/)_, 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 www.bigtexassunclub. com). 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. This was the 27^(th) solar project built in Texas thanks in part to the _Big Texas Sun Club_. With this installation, Green Mountain’s _Big Texas Sun Club_ will be responsible for helping to create over 320 kW of new solar energy capacity in Texas since 2002. **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](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/09/empire-state-building-ny-goes-100-wind-power-green/) in New York City. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 11.3 billion pounds of CO_(2) emissions. As a wholly owned subsidiary of [NRG Energy](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/04/oil-sands-environmental-monitoring-improvements-ahead/)( NYSE:NRG), Green Mountain is back by one of the nation’s largest renewable power producers._** For more information, visit GreenMountain.com.**_ **More About Solar Power from The Green Living Guy** **Solar Power for Your Home Is For Sale by The Green Guru Guides** The Daily Green Story About BP Solar Jobs Being Lost in Maryland Martifer Solar USA Moves North County Transit District Towards a Greener Future  Solar Homes Do Better In Real Estate Market. Construction of the Solar Powered Community is Progressing On Schedule. 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