Thirteen Solar World panels, each with the capacity to produce 235 Watts of electricity, have been installed on the Earth Shelter at The Mountain Institute's Spruce Knob Mountain Center. The total system size is 3.055 KiloWatts (KW) and connects directly into the electric grid requiring no battery storage. The system produces roughly 10 KiloWatt Hours (KWH) of electricity per day which is about 25-30% of the average home's electricity usage. The system will produce enough power to supply 75% of the Earth Shelter's electricity needs or 100% of the Caretakers Cottage's electricity needs.  The Mountain Institute will feature the solar panels as a key component in its environmental and outdoor education lessons.

The Mountain Institute would like to give special thanks to the Appalachian Stewardship Foundation for providing the funding for the solar panels and to Mountain View Solar for donating one panel and installing the system.

To view the project press release click here: Spruce Knob Solar Press Release