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AUGUST 2015
“Our Mission: Gallup Solar is collaborating with communities, elected representatives, utilities and industry to bring solar power
to all peoples in our area”
AUGUST WEDNESDAY EVENINGS
MEETING AGENDA
We tailor our meetings to YOU who come:
Wanting to know how much solar you need,
What it will cost,
Where you can get it,
and
Why you should go solar....
Weekly Wednesday Meetings are from 6-8 p.m.
at 113 East Logan Ave., Gallup, NM
Refreshments are served
The public is welcome and all input is valued.
PLEASE COME!
August 5, 6-8pm
August 12, 6-8pm
August 19, 6-8pm
August 26, 6-8pm
GALLUP SOLAR BOARD MEETING
LAND LOOT
LABOR
AND
LICENSE
About six years ago we wrote a jingle that ran on KGLP,
“We got land, we got hands”.
This was essentially the same idea that our sole local
solar supplier, Ed Munoz, put forth at recent meeting.
With a wave of his hand Ed shows how doable it would be.
Ed pantomimed city workers, students, volunteers, Gallup Solar members and even jail labor, bolting 250 watt panels together to racking (ideally 100 panels to a string) and then with arms in the air he demonstrated city electricians running and tying in wires. He convinced us.
It is true. We do have the necessary components to do our own small solar corrals all over the city
LAND
The City has the land. Actually Gallup Solar and its cyclist,
Dale Potter, have identified numerous feasible sites for a municipal solar plant.
We were always thinking big, 40 MW, to cover the City’s use.
We spent a year identifying sites for a solar plant, here we are in 2007 at Gamerco, now Gallup Land Partners
But Ed is thinking small. He is suggesting putting up 100,000 kw solar corrals wherever there is a need, arrays between 1kw and 250kw depending on the infrastructure at the site.
The golf cart barn might need structural refitting to hold 100 panels but 25 with Enphase inverters would be easy. The golf course uses 21,767.75 kWh per mo to charge its carts and to pump the greywater that keeps it green.
The 16 City Wells have huge pumps and the electrical infrastructure needed for a solar array. Gallup uses 40% of its electricity to pump water around town.
A park shade might hold 4 panels and use microinverters.
LABOR
As mentioned Ed thinks a work force is no problem. We have skilled and unskilled labor forces. We have a great team of competent electricians at the City, from Journeymen to EE-98 contractors, many of whom are becoming familiar with solar having installed panels for LED lighting. And the College has been training panel installers for the past 5 years.
Ed says Richard Matske, electrical director at Gallup Joint Utilities, has the expertise to manage these
solar projects very well.
Helen and Richard Matzke, Electric Director, City of Gallup.
LOOT What would it cost?
To figure out how much power a pilot project of four hundred 250 watt panels, 100,000 watts or 100kw, would generate in a year you multiply the six hours of sun times the 310 sunny days that we can count on in Gallup and multiply that by 100
which equals 186,000kwh.
The value of that power generated for resale by the City of Gallup at approximately twelve cents per kwh equals $22,320.00.
NOT BAD
The cost of that investment
100 panels@185.00 ea.= $18,500
250kw inverter = $62,945
100 racking $125.00ea = $12,500
TOTAL = $ 93,945
Other expenditures will include wire, conduit, labor and supplies.
In 5 years the City will have recovered the main expenses. The solar corral would then be producing free power for at least twenty more years, probably much longer.
LICENSE
Our eight year contract with Continental Divide allows the City of Gallup to generate 5% of our own electricity in the first three years, estimated at 2MW, and10 percent in the last five years or 4MW. We are two years into the contract already.
At the signing, 7/14, we were thrilled to hear the words “MW Solar” passing Jackie’s lips but not another peep.
Gallup has always managed its own utilities, water, sewer and electricity. We buy wholesale power and resell it. The profit generated is a mainstay of the City budget. Unlike other cites at the mercy of privately owned utilities, we could, if we would, make decisions about the source of our power. Many other cities, notably Santa Fe, would love to have the autonomy
Gallup has.
Because we own our utilities, the Do It Yourself approach described by Ed Munoz rang a chord that has been unheard at Gallup Solar for some time. In 2007 we were pleading with PNM to build solar plants here. Ed reminded us that things have changed since 2007. Solar is simpler, cheaper and we don’t have to plead with our provider. Activism for solar is just a matter now of getting it installed. Hearts and minds have been won. Finally the economics make sense.
Ed received a round of applause and we did not get back
to the planned agenda.
The City of Gallup has many needs and finding any money will be tough. But there are grants out there to pay for solar installations, for instance on brown fields (land that has been polluted). Gallup Solar would like work with COG and the City to acquire grants that could move us all forward with solar!
If any of you City officials happen to read this, we would appreciate your feedback. Write to gallupsolar@gmail.com or better still, come to a regular Wednesday meeting. We have met every Wednesday since July of 2007 at 113 East Logan, Gallup.
It is the right time to go ahead with this.
The AUGUST High IQ Quiz
Is it better to transport fuel....
this way or....
this way?
FOR MORE ABOUT US GO TO
gallupsolar.org
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