Although few members are aware, Mohave Electric Cooperative (MEC) has four operating facilities that house our employees: our Member Service Office at 928 Hancock Road; the Administration Office; the Auto Shop/Meter Shop; and our Kingman Service Office that houses equipment and field crew members.
Recently, our Administrative Office in Bullhead City has undergone a major improvement that might catch your eye as you arrive. MEC added a car parking structure topped with a 256,000-watt solar system to capture as much sun energy as possible while keeping employee vehicles shaded throughout the day.
This major solar project is constructed with 650 400-watt Q-Cell solar panels that produce enough power to reduce MEC’s administrative office demand almost entirely. Reducing our costs, in turn, helps all members, as member-owners of the cooperative. In addition to powering the administrative facility, four electric vehicle charging stations will also be installed for employees and members to use and encourage clean transportation.
The Administrative Office solar parking improvement project was budgeted through MEC’s annual work plan. With the lack of covered parking for MEC fleet vehicles, this solar project posed two great solutions for MEC: the addition of covered parking and the reduction of energy demand for daily operations.
Like many of our solar projects for government buildings such as schools, fire departments, and even Bullhead City Hall, we are working to save members money through the reduction of energy costs while protecting the investment of our fleet vehicles.
MEC has also completed large solar projects to benefit the community, including a 37,000-watt system for The Legacy Foundation Christine Stamper Center for Help & Hope, a 46,400-watt project for River Valley High School, and a 23.68-kilowatt system for Golden Shores Senior Center to name a few.
Combined, more than 40 solar initiative projects for the community have amounted to more than $1.5 million funded by MEC and our Renewable Energy plan. These projects have taken place since the start of our solar initiatives REST plan in 2009.
REST stands for Renewable Energy Standards Tariff, and is a mandated plan by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Our program, Sunwatts Renewable Energy Plan assists members and businesses with rebates to offset the large cost of solar and reduce monthly energy costs. We have more than 1,000 members, both residential and small commercial, with rooftop solar systems.
If you are considering the addition of solar to your home or business, we urge you to sit down with one of our energy specialists at our Member Service Office at 928 Hancock Road in Bullhead City to discuss if solar is right for you. This is a great first step to ensure the cost of solar is worth the investment before purchasing from a supplier.
For further questions about solar, please visit our Renewable Energy page or call (928) 763-1100 and ask to speak to an Energy Service Specialist today.