SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Santa Fe Opera has announced that they have successfully installed a 214 kW solar power system on their campus, north of Santa Fe. The system, designed by Positive Energy Solar, has 431 solar panels spread among the Dapples Pavilion, Stieren Orchestra Hall, and a ground-mounted array, which is currently under construction.
Shares General Director Robert K. Meya says, “In a place where we have such abundant natural beauty, we take seriously our responsibility to care for the land and natural resources. With over 320 days of sunshine a year, Santa Fe is the ideal place to harness the power of the sun and we are absolutely thrilled to take advantage of this sustainable resource.”
The new solar system is expected to produce over 400,000 kWh of clean energy each year. The opera plans to use this to offset its daily energy usage. According to representatives, “the Santa Fe Opera will save more than $1.3 million in electricity costs and reduce its emission of greenhouse gasses by 13 million pounds – the equivalent of planting 100,000 trees.”
The opera has also constructed new PVC piping through its stage floor to transfer water used in productions back into holding tanks beneath the theater. These tanks capture 80,000 gallons of rainwater each summer, which is used for irrigation throughout the opera’s grounds.
