SMALL SOLAR MONTH

August 2012

Small systems may be handier than we realized, especially for off-grid applications!

AUGUST MEETINGS SCHEDULE
Meetings are from 6-8 p.m.
at 113 East Logan Ave., Gallup, NM
Refreshments are served
As always the public is welcome and your input is valued.

August 1 at 5 p.m.
ANNUAL BOARD MEETING 


August 8 at 6 p.m.
SMALL SOLAR ROUNDTABLE I
From Batteries to Chargers to Motors, it is all on the table.

 
August 15 at 6 p.m.
SMALL SOLAR ROUNDTABLE II
From Inverters to Wiring to Amperage, it is all on the table.

August 22 at 6 p.m.
GALLUP SOLAR BOARD MEETING

August 29 at 6 p.m.
Pot Luck in Pine Hill, Road Permitting.
But hopefully will be rained out and then will happen at 113 East Logan, Gallup

JULY COMMUNITY MEETINGS & EVENTS RECAP
 

Habitat House number three at 416 E. Wilson Ave. will be solarized if our fundraising skills are up to the task.

 July 11 at 6 p.m.
Rachel Kaub, actor/activist and manager of KGLP, our local public radio station, had promised an improvisational workshop to warm us up to the daunting task of asking for money. Once we got started not a peep was made about the actual goal of our efforts and late people were totally lost as we proceeded to go round the room with The Minister’s Cat is an Awesome Cat, The Minister’s Cat is a Bad Cat and so on. But by the end of the meeting everyone’s ability to hold forth on any topic was quite enhanced.

Rachel also showed her raw footage from the Komp Workshops and by the time you read this newsletter some excerpts might be on our home page at gallupsolar.org.

July 18 at 6 p.m.
Elevator Speeches PHD

Again led by Rachel, we focused on fundraising.

Some talking points had been put on the white board:

• Both organizations, Gallup Solar and Habitat for Humanity are non-profits and donations tax-deductible,
• Good PR for your company will beprovided on website and in media
• Help to Habitat is a hand-up not a hand-out to low income families
• Boost your Green Company image
• Other local companies are doing this
• Info on Commercial PV included for business approach
• Others…

Under Rachel’s expert guidance we did role play, Gallup Solar fundraiser talks to business owner. It was painful at first but got exponentially better as we went along, with Milagros Padilla giving an Emmy Award performance that showed us how personal interaction can be woven with a plea for money

And after that Rose Marie making her plea to Dale moved him so that he blurted out “How much money do you need?"

 
Our Doctors of fundraising, Milagros Padilla, left, and Sister Rose Marie Cecchini, right

Now to our readers we say that your donation towards the $4,000 we need to solarize Habitat House number three is tax-deductible and you will receive a framed photo of the project with our thanks. Please make a check out to Gallup Solar, put Habitat on the memo line and mail it to Gallup Solar, 113 East Logan, Gallup NM 87301. Any amount is welcome!

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A short film from Elephant Energy
Empower 500 Navajo Families Without Electricity

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/empower-navajo/

 
This system was ten years old when I got it and I haven’t done anything to it in nineteen years except replace batteries three times. The three brown panels are about 35 watts each totaling about 100 watts. Two 6 volt golf cart  batteries are in the unheated doghouse on the north side of the house, roof propped open. This system is sufficient for my needs because of the 250-gallon propane tank, beyond the tree, which powers stove and refrigerator.

At five hours of sun per day there are five hundred watts to use up. I have three 50-watt incandescent bulbs. In the winter one or two of them could use up all the electricity. Two on for five hours equals five hundred watts. I could be using 4 watt LED’s but these bulbs just won’t wear out and we go to bed early.

   
   Bedroom Light                    Living Room Light                          Kitchen Light
There is also a 250-watt inverter, the kind that plugs into a cigarette lighter. I think it uses about 100 watts per hour and is great for charging stuff.

 
Finally there is a small pump to get water out of the barrels. And that’s it, I really only need Gallup Joint Utilities for clipping the dogs.

 

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Membership
Gallup Solar has no membership dues but members are encouraged to contribute their time to help the organization thrive.
If you can't attend one of our Wednesday night meetings, please send ideas or tax-deductible donations to Gallup Solar, Inc.,113 E. Logan Ave., Gallup NM 87301

  and go to our website: GALLUPSOLAR.ORG
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