LAS VEGAS—Possibly by August of this year, 26 percent of the electricity needs of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino will be met by a more than 8 megawatt (MW dc) photovoltaic array sitting atop the property’s convention center roof. “Juice” is already flowing from the first phase of the installation—a 6.4 MW dc array. The remaining 2 MW dc amount will be operational once solar panels are installed atop an expansion of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The array is already the world’s largest rooftop solar array on a convention center.
According to Chris Brophy, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability Division for MGM Resorts International, the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino project is a “proof of concept.”
“Now that we have done it, we are not stopping,” he says, adding that MGM Resorts is putting out a portfolio-wide RFP that would cover just about all of its properties with solar—seven additional properties.
MGM Resorts chose the Mandalay Bay Convention Center for its new solar array due to its large sun-oriented rooftop space. The space for the first phase of the array covers about 20 acres. Mandalay Bay is buying the energy created by the array though a power purchase agreement (PPA) with NRG Energy.
NRG Will Maintain the System
“NRG funded and built the array and also will on the expansion,” Brophy says. “NRG is selling power directly to Mandalay Bay. That cost for the electricity is at a lower rate than what we would be purchasing from NV Energy. NRG is responsible for the maintenance of the system. If we notice any output issues, we can call them for service.”
The solar installation will provide pricing stability and reduce energy draw from the southern Nevada grid during the hottest time of the day which is also peak electricity demand. The project is estimated to displace approximately 6,300 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the equivalent of taking more than 1,300 cars off the road.
While Brophy says it is too early to gauge the full performance of the first phase of the installation, some meter reductions are already being seen.
When asked if something like an expansive solar array would help bring in more business, Brophy said, “We do know a lot of our corporate partners value that we are committed to renewable energy. The accomplishment has proven that renewable energy is viable in Las Vegas Valley.”
Go to MGM Resorts International.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
