BLACK ROCK SOLAR WELCOMES JOHN ANDREANO

Internship program officially doubles in size

Black Rock Solar welcomes aboard our newest intern, John Andreano, student extraordinaire from the University of Nevada Reno.  He started his internship last week and will be focusing on updating a statewide renewable energy education and job training report.  John will also help organize GREENevada’s Student Sustainability Summit, our Earth Day event where northern Nevada high school students propose environmental and economic sustainability plans for their campuses and compete for prize money.

Diana Dorman & John Andreano in Nixon, Nevada

Andreano is Black Rock Solar’s second intern, following in the footsteps of Diana Dorman.  Diana is a fellow UNR student who interned last summer and did such a great job that we hired her as our Education & Policy Assistant.  Diana works on renewable energy policy and regulation, education, outreach, and special projects.

Diana and John recently accompanied Deputy Director Marnee Benson to Nixon, Nevada, where the Black Rock Solar crew is installing a 130 kW array for the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe at the high school.  The duo stopped by our arrowhead array at the Museum & Visitor Center for look at this ground-breaking artistic array (and a quick pic!).

Posted by Marnee Benson

HIGH SCHOOL ARRAY IS 9TH FOR PYRAMID LAKE PAIUTE TRIBE

Believed to be most solar per capita of any community across the country

Black Rock Solar has once again partnered with the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe to install clean, renewable energy in Nixon, Nevada.  This 130 kW array, the 4th for the Junior-Senior High School, will effectively offset 100% of the school’s current annual electricity consumption.  We believe Nixon to be the community with the most distributed solar PV per capita in the U.S.

Eli Lyon working on the racking structure

These projects are especially meaningful to Black Rock Solar, as the Pyramid Lake Tribe was the first to extend a welcome to our tiny upstart organization back in 2008.  Since that time, we’ve worked closely with tribal leaders to install 431 kW of solar in their community.

Pouring concrete

The savings from this array will save the school and the tribe close to $20,000 per year, money that can be put to better use for students and educators.  For those who travel between Reno and the Black Rock Desert, you’ll be able to spot this array just off Hwy 447 past the Museum & Visitor’s Center, where our arrowhead array resides.

Jeremy Walker in the cloud of Awesomeness

Posted by Marnee Benson

COMMUNITY COLLEGE FLIPS SWITCH FOR CLEAN ENERGY

201 kW is largest array to date for Black Rock Solar

Black Rock Solar and Western Nevada College teamed up last fall to build a 201 kW array for the college’s Carson City campus.  The array was completed in December and commissioned Monday morning under a bright, sunny sky in Nevada’s capital city.

Director of Facilities Planning & Management for WNC, Dave Rollings, turns on one of the 100-kW inverters

As part of each installation, Black Rock Solar provides solar array orientation and safety training to the site host.  We also provide important information about long-term maintenance to ensure maximum efficiency over the course of the life-span of the array.

Orientation & safety training at WNC

Many thanks to Western Nevada College for being such a great partner on this project!

Posted by Marnee Benson

NEW ROOF, NEW BUILDING, NEW ARRAY

S-5! donation helps make this project possible

The Children’s Cabinet is a wonderful non-profit organization that exists to keep children safe and families together by offering services and resources that address unmet needs.  Black Rock Solar is ultra-proud to be working with our friends at the Children’s Cabinet to install a 15 kW array at their new Wilbur D. May Youth Center in midtown Reno.

Dave Lasky and Steve Mitchell installing S-5! clamps on the new roof of the Children's Cabinet in midtown Reno

Black Rock Solar participated in fundraising efforts with the Children’s Cabinet for several months on this project and owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to S-5! for providing the clamps that will attach the solar modules to the brand new metal standing seam roof.

Crew Supervisor Dave Lasky on a sunny day at the Children's Cabinet

This is our second solar array for the Children’s Cabinet – the first was a 30 kW ground-mount at the organization’s administrative headquarters on Rock Blvd.  With the money saved on electricity costs from these installations, the Children’s Cabinet will be able to provide additional services to our community.

Steve Mitchell smiles for the camera

We’d also like to extend congratulations to our own Eli Lyon, who had a very special event over the holiday season.

Eli Lyon in one of her favorite places

Posted by Marnee Benson