United Arkansas Credit Union of Little Rock is claiming its spot in the sun as the state’s first solar-powered financial institution, President and CEO Michael Armstrong says.
Seal Solar Energy Solutions of North Little Rock has installed a photovoltaic array at the credit union’s $1.3 million facility at 8405 Interstate 30 in southwest Little Rock. The solar plant is expected to generate more than 16 megawatts of electricity per year.
The array also augments a headquarters designed “to provide 21st-century banking to an underserved market,” a company press release said. The facility, with pods and an open concept, features a central lobby with energy-efficiency features and is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays.
“From our services to facilities, United Arkansas Credit Union is modernizing banking,” Armstrong said in a statement. “With these energy savings, we can double down on member experience.”
Heather Nelson, Seal Solar’s co-founder and chief operating officer, praised United Arkansas for its “forward-thinking investment,” and said her company was happy to continue “leading the charge on solar design and installation in Arkansas.” The company recently installed the state’s first fully county-owned solar plant for Jefferson County in downtown Pine Bluff. She sees Seal’s mission as helping “homeowners, businesses, government entities and farmers control their rising energy costs and save money.”
