| Project Detail |
The objective of the project is to install a 45-kW solar PV array on the roof and as awnings at the 25,000- square-foot Health and Wellness Center on the campus of the LBHC in Crow Agency, Montana. The installation will displace greater than 16% of the current electricity requirements at the Health and Wellness Center and save LBHC more than $6,600 in operating costs annually. This savings will enable LBHC to fund additional energy efficiency and future renewable projects.
The Health and Wellness Center on the campus of the Little Big Horn College was constructed in 2009–2010, and, in accordance with long-term campus sustainability goals, was designed to accommodate a future solar array. The 25,000-square-foot space hosts inter- and intra-collegiate sports like basketball. It is the flagship structure and figurative center of campus life. The Health and Wellness Center also offers weightlifting and exercise space as well yoga, aerobics, and nutrition education. The approximately 450 LBHC students take advantage of this space to learn, socialize, and play.
The front of the building faces due east to receive the morning sun per traditional Crow structures, and the array as proposed will be installed on the south side of the building for maximum solar exposure. The PV system will be interconnected to the Big Horn County Electric Cooperative (BHCEC). LBHC will enter into a net-metering agreement with BHCEC allowing excess energy to be put onto the grid in exchange for a credit.
The immediate benefit from the proposed project will be savings of more than $6,600 annually that LBHC will be able to use to fund additional energy efficiency and future renewables projects. Over the life of the array LBHC expects to save well over $250,000 in electricity costs. This correlates to approximately 236,769 kBtu of energy draw or 50,688.5 pounds of carbon dioxide eliminated each year. The six trainees—two paid jobs for enrolled Crow members at install, two for continuing education on campus, and two for operations and maintenance—will gain knowledge and be better prepared to join the clean tech economy in the future. |
