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GERLACH SCHOOLS GO SOLAR FOR THE HOLIDAYS Burning Man, MMA Renewable Ventures, Sierra Pacific Power Collaborate for Community Clean Energy Gerlach, Nev. – December 18, 2007– Students in Gerlach will be celebrating a "green" Christmas because their campus will soon be powered by renewable energy. An array of solar panels installed at the campus is expected to generate up to 162,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually for the next 25 years. The total energy savings over that time period is expected to surpass $480,000. The approximately $20,000 per year savings will directly benefit the students and faculty of the rural school, according to the Washoe County School District. Gerlach's new 90-kilowatt, photovoltaic, solar power system resulted from a pioneering collaboration between Sierra Pacific Power, Burning Man, MMA Renewable Ventures and the Washoe County School District. The panels were installed at no charge to the school district through a combination of donated labor and materials and Sierra Pacific's SolarGenerations rebate program. "The Burning Man community has long been a part of the Northern Nevada community, and when this opportunity to give something back came up we jumped on it," explained Marian Goodell, board member of Black Rock City, LLC. Representatives from the town of Gerlach, the school district, Burning Man, Sierra Pacific and MMA Renewable Ventures will celebrate the completion of the ground-mounted solar array on Tuesday, Dec. 18. The installation consists of three 30-kilowatt solar systems, and they provide nearly enough electricity to supply all of the energy needed for the campus, according to Bruce Deetken, energy manager for the school district. The Gerlach campus consists of three schools that serve 83 students from kindergarten through high school. "The solar panels will give our students good insight into the different ways we can address global warming issues with renewable energy," said Gerlach Principal Carol Kaufmann, adding that she is working with the Desert Research Institute in Reno to incorporate the solar project into their science curriculum. "Because Gerlach is somewhat isolated, it is difficult to provide the students with the same opportunities afforded to students in other parts of Washoe County," Kaufmann said. "That's another reason why this is a great opportunity for us." Tuesday's event will also premiere the Burning Man organization's plans, through the Black Rock Solar project, to install several more solar projects in northern Nevada in cooperation with Sierra Pacific and the SolarGenerations program. Rebates for schools and public buildings participating in the program amount to $5 per watt of installed solar energy. "Our goal is to build low or no cost solar systems for communities that otherwise might not develop them, and to build high-profile projects that help speed the adoption of solar energy in Nevada," added Tom Price with Black Rock Solar. Project costs will be partially offset by a $450,000 rebate provided through the SolarGenerations program established by the Nevada State Legislature in 2003 to encourage Nevadans to install solar energy. The program is administered by Sierra Pacific Power in northern Nevada and Nevada Power Company in Las Vegas. "Thanks to our State Legislature and the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, our state has one of the most aggressive programs in the nation to encourage solar energy," Sierra Pacific Program Manager John Hargrove said. "We are excited to join with Black Rock Solar in helping schools and public facilities to go green and save money on their energy bills." Engineering expertise and labor for the Gerlach project was provided free of charge by Black Rock Solar, a nonprofit project of Black Rock City, LLC, which produces the annual Burning Man event in the Black Rock Desert north of Gerlach, and by Brooks Engineering, one of the leading experts in PV system design. MMA Renewable Ventures, a leading clean energy project finance firm, provided the solar electric equipment. The Gerlach solar energy system celebration follows on today's dedication ceremony for another MMA Renewable Ventures project in Nevada, a 14-megawatt system at Nellis Air Force Base that is now the largest photovoltaic array in North America. "This collaboration for solar energy in Gerlach is an extension of our philosophy that renewable energy should be cost effective and accessible to all in this country, from the largest corporations to the smallest rural towns," said Matt Cheney, CEO of MMA Renewable Ventures. "We are proud to be helping the community with a reliable source of clean energy and helping Gerlach's schools focus their resources on their children." Ribbon Cutting Ceremony: Tuesday December 18, 2007, at noon, 555 East Sunset Boulevard in Gerlach. Images and video available upon request. About Burning Man About MMA Renewable Ventures About Sierra Pacific Power About Black Rock Solar |
