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Remote, Off-Grid Renewable Energy on Native American Lands

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Renewable Energy on Native American Lands Program, the Pueblo of Laguna tribe is installing several renewable energy systems at the tribally owned, off-grid Majors Ranch. This former cattle ranch is now used as a Youth Development Ranch. The systems will supply electricity for water pumping, lighting, satellite communication, and general electrical service. These systems will also provide solar hot water and water purification for domestic use.

Location: Laguna Majors Ranch (40 miles northwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Type of System: Off-grid Wind/PV/Diesel hybrid systems. Used to provide electricity for water pumping, lighting, communication, and general use.

Project Dates: 1999 through 2003

Project Status:Equipment is currently being installed

Last Updated: 12 March 2001

PROJECT BACKGROUND & OVERVIEW

The potential for wind energy development on Native American Reservations has been discussed for the past 10-15 years. DOE awarded the Pueblo of Laguna a contract under a Remote Applications of Renewable Power Technologies on Native American Lands solicitation. The site already had numerous water pumping windmills, an old inoperative Jacobs wind turbine, and a functioning 1-kWp Photovoltaic (PV) system.

The potential for replication of this project is high. Other Laguna or Pueblo sites are good candidates for a renewable energy system, and many other Native American tribes have also expressed interest. The increasing demand for renewable energy products is partially being met by businesses owned by Native Americans.

Goals and Objectives

• Gain field data on the performance of renewable energy systems
• Provide reliable electricity to the Majors Ranch
• Use the system to promote renewable energy among the Pueblo of Laguna and the other Pueblo tribes

INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS

Participants: Pueblo Laguna, Laguna Majors Ranch, Diversified Systems Manufacturing (DSM), Sacred Power Corporation, Luz Energy Corporation, Energia Total, Indian Nation Technologies, DOE, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Organizational Structure: The Pueblo of Laguna selected DSM to develop the grant proposal and to provide program and contract management oversight for the entire project. DSM is a business development company owned by Native Americans. This arrangement ensures tribal oversight of the project while sparing the tribal government day-to-day administration of the project. DSM is responsible for coordinating the efforts of its main subcontractors, Luz Energy Corporation, Sacred Power Corporation, Indian Nation Technologies, Energia Total and various supporting agencies, DOE, SNL, and NREL. DSM's subcontractor, Energia Total, is responsible for design, procurement, and installation of the large PV Array and wind turbine system. Luz Energy is responsible for the solar hot water and water purification integration system. Sacred Power Corporation, a Native American-owned, distributed-energy company, will install a stand-alone 600-watt PV water pumping system away from the Ranch house, in addition to refurbishing a water storage tank. Indian Nations Technologies, a Native American-owned SATCOM communications firm, will install the SATCOM system. SNL and NREL will provide technical assistance.

Resource Assessment: Average wind speed at this site is unmeasured. According to general NREL wind maps, the Ranch is in a class-3 wind area. An earlier ranch power system used a Jacobs wind turbine to provide electricity. In addition, numerous mechanical water-pumping windmills, some of which are still in use, have been used on the ranch. Based upon this successful past history of wind turbine use at the ranch, the wind resource is considered sufficient to justify the installation of a wind turbine as part of the system.

Maintenance: Ranch personnel will fill out daily operations logs. As part of its contract, DSM will conduct quarterly site visits for 2 years after the installation of the system.

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

System Description (Components/Size/Brand/Number): The installation at Laguna consists of three separate systems, labeled for convenience, "Main," "Water Pumping," and "Barn."

Main
Bergey 1.5-kW wind turbine on a 40-foot tower
4.8-kWp PV on a fixed tilt array
48-VDC, 1100-Ahr batteries (52.8-kWh)

Water Pumping
1.2-kWp PV
600-watt PV

Barn
The pre-existing wind system for the main complex was relocated to provide power to the barn.
0.48-kWp PV batteries

Demand Data (profile, graph, deferrable, and optional loads): The results of a loads analysis conducted by Energia Total are given below.

Provisions for monitoring and evaluation: Per the reporting requirements, DSM will monitor system performance for 3 years after the installation.

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL PROFILE

Financing Arrangements (Financing/Type/Rate of Return): DOE and Laguna Pueblo jointly fund this project.

DOE grant $220,820
Laguna Pueblo contribution $ 62,258

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