The new Ronald McDonald House at the Mueller redevelopment in East Austin will be solar-powered.

Green Mountain Energy began installing a 10.8 kilowatt (kW) solar array Wednesday on the rooftop of the new home for families of sick children. It's the first solar-powered Ronald McDonald House in the country.

The 54 photovoltaic solar panels will power up to 15 rooms. There will also be an educational kiosk to explain how solar energy works and how it contributes to energy efficiency.

Green Mountain Energy Company is funding the project through its Big Texas Sun Club, a program where Green Mountain customers can choose to support solar energy installations by adding $5 to their monthly bill. To date, nine solar projects have been funded with this project. When complete, the Ronald McDonald House will be the 10th and the first solar facility the company has in Austin.

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Join News 8 Austin's Todd Boadwright beginning June 25 for a preview of the new Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas in a five-part series called For Children's Sake.

The solar array will help offset over 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, which is the equivalent of driving 33,000 miles, or 85 roundtrips from Austin to Dallas. C02 is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

The new Ronald McDonald House will be complete in November. It will have 30 rooms to accommodate families with ill or injured children being treated at the nearby Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas.