Nevada’s hospitality industry continues its green streak with MGM Resorts International‘s newly expanded rooftop solar array, which is the largest of its kind in the United States. MGM partnered with NRG Energy, Inc. to expand the solar array atop Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
Installed on the roof of Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the expanded solar array covers more than 28 acres and has more than 26,000 photovoltaic panels and produces a combined 8.3 MW dc (6.5 MW ac) of electricity, a new national record for rooftop arrays. At full production, the system supplies 25 percent of the power demand of the entire Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino campus.
The expanded solar installation is expected to displace approximately 8,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of taking more than 1,700 automobiles off the road. The electricity produced is also equivalent to the average annual usage of 1,340 U.S. homes. Since completion of the first phase in 2014, the project has helped provide pricing stability for MGM Resorts, while reducing the amount of energy drawn from the southern Nevada grid during times of peak electricity demand.
“MGM Resorts International has a long history of integrating environmentally responsible practices throughout our operations to help preserve the planet’s limited resources,” said Cindy Ortega, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer of MGM Resorts International. “Our continued partnership with NRG is a source of pride and inspires our desire to continually implement innovative solutions that promote renewable energy.”
“Companies like MGM Resorts are driving an evolution in America’s energy mix as they seek cleaner sources of power that provide more certainty over energy costs,” said Craig Cornelius, senior vice president of NRG Energy and head of NRG’s Renewables group.
NRG owns and operates the installation for MGM Resorts at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Through a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement, Mandalay Bay Resort will purchase all the electricity generated by both solar arrays.
