Silambam Houston Celebrates $103K Donation from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club
PEARLAND: Silambam Houston is embracing sustainability with the installation of a rooftop solar array and a new pavilion at its Pearland dance studio thanks to a grant of nearly $103,000 from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club.
The 14.58 kW solar array is expected to offset 100 percent of the building’s energy needs and save the organization more than $4,000 each year for the next 25 years. The Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Sustainability Pavilion will serve as an outdoor gathering space for receptions and events at the facility.
Silambam is an Indian classical arts organization, seeking to increase the appreciation and understanding of Indian artistic traditions across cultural boundaries. The arts academy program serves 180 students each week with more than 20 teaching artists on staff and the professional dance company with more than 20 dancers regularly performs at Houston venues, including Miller Outdoor Theater. The organization has a series called “Dancing into STEM” to explain STEM concepts, bringing together two passions of the founder — dance and science.
“We are thrilled to be able to weave sustainable practices into our arts programming, while also giving back to community,” said Dr. Lavanya Rajagopalan, founder and executive artistic director of Silambam. “The annual savings from this project will allow us to increase artist pay, provide tuition waivers for economically disadvantaged students, and/or provide free or pay-what-you-can access to our ArtStream Concerts, all while benefiting the environment.”
Green Mountain Energy is inspiring hope, motivating action through the use of clean energy, and advancing sustainable communities through Sun Club. Since its founding in 2002, Sun Club has donated more than $14 million for 164 projects across Texas and the Northeast. Green Mountain Energy invites its customers and employees to contribute and help support more projects that promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation and environmental stewardship.
“At Green Mountain Energy, we recognize that our choices can have a profound impact on our environment,” said Mark Parsons, Green Mountain Energy vice president. “We’re proud to support the rich and diverse culture of the Indian community, and we’re glad to help Silambam take the next step toward a more sustainable future.”
Silambam performed at the Miller Outdoor Theater on June 7.
About Green Mountain Energy Sun Club
Green Mountain Energy is inspiring hope, motivating action through the use of clean energy, and advancing sustainable communities through the work of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. Since its founding in 2002, Sun Club® has donated more than $14 million for 164 projects across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club collaborates with nonprofit organizations on projects that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. To learn more about Green Mountain Energy and Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit greenmountain.com/sunclub.
About Silambam Houston
Silambam is an Indian classical arts organization, seeking to increase the appreciation and understanding of Indian artistic traditions across cultural boundaries. The arts academy program serves 180 students each week with more than 20 teaching artists on staff and the professional dance company with more than 20 dancers regularly performs at Houston venues, including Miller Outdoor Theater. The organization has a series called “Dancing into STEM” to explain STEM concepts, bringing together two passions of the founder — dance and science.