NOVEMBER 2012
“Our Mission: Gallup Solar is collaborating with elected representatives, utilities and industry to bring solar power to all peoples in our area”
NOVEMBER MEETINGS SCHEDULE
Meetings are from 6-8 p.m.
at 113 East Logan Ave., Gallup, NM
Refreshments are served
The public is always welcome and your input is valued.

November 7 at 6 p.m.
PV SIZING, SITING &
SANDRA BEGAY CAMPBELL

November 14 at 6 p.m.
SOLAR MARKETING
Overcoming Myths about Solar
 
November 21 at 6 p.m.
DISCOUNT PV PURCHASING

November 28 at 6 p.m.
GALLUP SOLAR BOARD MEETING

  
OCTOBER COMMUNITY MEETINGS

October 3 at 6 p.m.
RETURN TO HABITAT AND HOW TO DO IT

Together we can! Most of the meeting was spent discussing the best or better ways of attaching the Westinghouse panels to the roof.
To A or to B?
 
Don and Michael are taking charge, crawling around the attic and measuring the rafters. They will contact Luis Rodriguez, our local solar electrician, seasoned on three other solar installs.
Chris Chavez is flexible, will bring his class with enough notice. We have decided to postpone the project til the second semester because Concrete is the topic for fall and solar installs will fit better into Green Building.
Go to the end of the newsletter for more about Gallup Solar and Habitat.
 
 
SURPRISE VISIT!

Spain

Canada

India
Forty Megawatt Solar Power plants are everywhere, They are also in Germany, Israel and Peru.
We had a visit from Amber Schillinger and her mother and got an update on the progress of the proposed 40 MW solar plant planned for the designated (in 1971) industrial park at Iyanbito. In spite of resistance from chapter officials it looks as though the Navajo Council will eventually give the go ahead.
Of course, Gallup Solar is green with envy at the thought of this plant which would cover the City of Gallup’s needs so neatly.
 
A Taiwanese PV assembling plant is mobilizing in Fort Defiance to supply the 350 acres of panels.

If the plant goes ahead it will make power enough to supply one third of the Navajo Nation’s need. This will make Navajo Number One Sovereign Nation in the World for most percentage of RE in their grid, more even than Germany, said Amber.

Maybe Amber will respond to the 2013 RFP from the City of Gallup for its own 40 MW power supply plant when she’s finished with this!
WHY NOT???????

October 10 at 6 p.m.
MILWAUKEE SHINES/MIDWEST RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION PARTNERSHIP

We watched the webinar, long awaited, looking at it as a model for Gallup Solar to follow. There was a good discussion regarding financing which you will see is a focal point of the Milwaukee Shines initiative.
Notice the italicized section, MS had a city grant of $100,000 to get their financing program off the ground.
 
MILWAUKEE SHINES
2008: US Dept of Energy Solar America City
We were aware of the Solar Cities Grant in 2008: a Federal funding source for up to $200,000 per city for developing sustainable solar for city use and providing a model for other cities.  But the initiative (and grant money) was written for cities with at least 100,000 people.
 
GOALS
Increase installations
Increase installers
Reduce cost of solar
Support manufacturing
Support for SHW and PV
Public - Private Partnership
 
REDUCE SOFT COSTS
 Permitting
 Financing
 Interconnection
 Zoning
 
MARKETING
 Lower cost solar for customers
 Leads and jobs for local installers
 Business for local solar companies
 Installations by trained, certified solar installers
 Education for potential clients
 Low-interest financing for City residents
Set system size to “sell” to customers
 Start with 2 KW system
 Reduce administrative costs for installers
 Reduced component costs
 All qualified installers can participate.
 
MIDWEST RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION
 
EDUCATION
Solar Power Hours
 20 workshops in 12 weeks
 Solar Works Tours
 Community Presentations
 Installers invited to attend
 Phone consultations

MARKETING
 Advertising: print, radio, on-line, social media
 Media outreach

MANAGEMENT
 Coordinates all aspects of the program
 Works with installers, manufacturers, customers
 Improve and replicate program
 Feedback, surveys
 Establish community partnerships
Provide $100 for each install to MREA for admin of program.
Customer receives MREA membership
 
MILWAUKEE MODEL FINANCING
Partnered with Summit Credit Union
 City provides loan loss reserve $100,000
City = $2 million in solar loans
 Low interest rate: (Prime plus 2.25%) 3.5%-5.5%
 Loosened underwriting criteria
 No money down, no home equity
 City residents (owner-occupied, 3 units)
 Small scale PV (upto6KW) or SHW (up to 8 panels)
 Loan size: up to $20,000
Term: Up to 15 years. No penalties for pre-payments, no fees.
 All equipment, labor, permits, fees.
Structural and re- roofing can be included.
 
INSIGHTS
 Financing must be part of marketing and installer development
 Must “sell” customer on benefits of solar (or EE) before you sell the financing
 Financing needs to be separate from property values.
Limited-time rebates or grants are still necessary to jump-start the market.
 Banks have shown little interest in local energy programs.
Not big enough to warrant new program.
Credit unions are more receptive.
Meet with MANY financial institutions to find the right partner!

CONTACTS
Milwaukee Shines
www.MilwaukeeShines.com
Midwest Renewable Energy Association
www.MidwestRenew.org
 
October 17 at 6 p.m. 
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO-GALLUP
ENTREPRENEUR EXPO 
The Bill Bright Report
Photos by Bill, Al, Ken Van Brott and Heather Flemming

A keynote speaker was David Melton, CEO of Sacred Power, Albuquerque, New Mexico, which installed both the 50KW system at Gallup High School and 55KW atop the Federal Building in Gallup.

 
Bill led a workshop entitled “The Green Economy” with Anna Rondon as speaker about green jobs on Navajo.


Our own long time Gallup Solar member, Jack Nofschissey, won fourth place for his exhibit titled "Solar Training, Research and Community Education."


Here are the High School Contestants.


High school contestant, Courtney Kasuse, presents his exhibit, "Medical Scanner", to judges Dan Sanchez and Ted Pedro.


Roderick Begay and Tristin Jones present their "Viper" exhibit to Expo coordinator Al Henderson.


Jalen Wautsa, Gallup Central, is youth category winner for his "cardboard art" exhibit.


Community category winners are, left to right:
 1st place, Tammie Wyaco from the Pueblo of Zuni for the "Giving Back to the Community" exhibit;
2nd place, Laura Sinclair, Gallup Solar member for the Solar Powered Healthy Food Truck,“Tommy’s”;
3rd place winner, Denise Marquez, from Zuni for "D's Day Care" exhibit;
 4th place, Jack Nofschissey, Gallup Solar member for "Solar Training, Research and Community Education."
 
Gallup Solar is proud to have participated in this event, to have two winning members and a solar keynote speaker. Since there was no stipulation for solar or renewable energy we feel this only proves that Solar is a natural winner on its own!

October 31 at 6 p.m.
INFRA-RED HALLOWEEN

Sandra McCardell, an expert in energy use interpretation and strategic solutions and dressed as Hurricane Sandy, gave a special Halloween demo complete with ghosts showing us how to find areas of heat loss at the Work in Beauty House,


which she found alot of.
She also demonstrated a new inner plexiglass window that is individually cut to fit perfectly in old windows. At about $300 each, they are not cheap, however when you think of all the labor and costs involved in putting in new insulated windows and the destruction of your old wood sashes, its worth thinking about.

 
 
HABITAT ENCORE
 
 Take a moment and go to this really lovely little video, made by Ender Kirin and narrated by Ella Scott.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQF0sZQ1Th8

We have raised about half of the $4000 needed to put 1 KW on Habitat House #3 thanks to these generous donors
Antique Toys
Butler's Office Equipment and Supplies
Cedar Animal Medical Center
Tom Flores
Gallup Independent
Gallup Title
Gallup Vision Source
Gurley Ford
Andrea Sterling
George Taira, Taco Bell
Please add your contribution!!!!!
You contribution is tax-deductible. You will receive a letter from Gallup Solar to that effect and a photograph of the most exciting part of the installation.


Please send or deliver tax-deductible donations
to Gallup Solar, Inc., 113 E. Logan Ave., Gallup NM 87301
Put on the memo line "for Habitat".

 

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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