Erin Sanborn, Steve Fuhlendorf and Mary Emery

How our renewable energy future will unfold is unknown. Changes in this industry are multiple, occurring rapidly, and outside forces can shift the industry in a very short time frame. In order to move toward a clean energy future, a business must be able to see different systems and causal relationships plus constantly think outside the box. Given today’s business conditions, one scenario is to utilize the willingness of many, many people to participate in solar energy development and marry it to New Mexico’s underutilized solar potential. One model is for community solar arrays or community shared solar.

In the northern region of New Mexico, specifically Taos County, Kit Carson Electric Coop (KCEC) has developed different scenarios and plans of action towards a renewable energy future. Community shared solar, or what KCEC calls “community solar projects,” is spreading across the country. Many environmentally minded residents of this eclectic community would like to take advantage of the abundant sunlight (more than 300 days/year) to power their homes. To do so requires not only a large monetary investment, but also a large, open location to install a solar array. This dilemma has been solved through the community solar concept.

Rather than individual homeowners installing rooftop solar, KCEC has created a means for members to buy panels or shares of panels that are added to grid-tied community solar arrays. The homeowner is actually purchasing a share of the array, which is treated the same as residential solar in terms of available tax incentives, without the additional cost of installation and long-term maintenance. It is a way to take advantage of the many benefits of solar power without having to install and maintain a residential system. Depending on the price of the panels, which is influenced by several factors, they will pay for themselves in as little as five years. From that point on the panels become an investment paying dividends on each electric bill. The panels, installed at solar arrays throughout the community, are maintained by KCEC and are real property that can be sold or bequeathed by the owners. With the life of panels being about 25 to 30 years, the long-term savings make for a tremendous return on investment. This plan works within the current state-mandated standard that KCEC must meet in terms of renewable energy development. The model is brilliant.

A current example where community residents can invest in a community solar project is the Foothills Community Solar Array at Taos Charter School. The school is hosting an array of approximately 100KW or a 500 panel solar array. It is due to be completed in June. Final cost of the panels or shares in the array will be somewhere between $500-$600. The construction contract has been awarded to Mark Johnson of Sol Luna Solar. The best part of this project is that the panels are available to be purchased by the public. People who buy panels will receive renewable energy tax credits—30 percent from the federal government and 10 percent from the state—the full amount allowed under current legislation. When you buy a panel, the energy produced will be credited to your electric bill, anywhere within the KCEC system. The Taos Charter School has negotiated its electric bill in exchange for leasing its property over 20 years, which will provide an energy cost savings, flexibility in the school’s budget and an environmental learning experience for students, all while helping improve our planet. 

Community Solar Projects are innovative and creative models in the current renewable energy environment of New Mexico. In today’s world, more and more of our experiences are non-linear, such as weather patterns, new inventions, reversal of legislative gains, or new innovation.

Consider how this business sector and model would change if:

• The cost of oil and gas skyrocketed because of war, environmental catastrophe or new innovation and an energy supply shortage ensued;
• The Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard in NM was increased or decreased;
• Renewable Energy Credits were eliminated. Or increased. Or if new incentives were introduced;
• A new solar energy innovation comes on the market. What if panels were lightweight? Of if the cost of a solar panel decreased to $50 per panel;
• Large amounts of local investment dollars come into our communities and neighborhoods strove to become energy self-sufficient;
• Current business conditions remain the same: price of oil and gas, price of panels, renewable energy portfolio percentages, federal subsidies for oil and gas and renewable tax credits, etc.

It is likely that within the next few years, one of these unforeseen aspects will catch us by surprise. For those who are working in the renewable energy industry, may I suggest you consider using Scenario Planning from your business toolbox. Most businesses use some form of Strategic Planning. Strategic Planning is linear and is very important. It helps businesses go from point A to points B & C, with defined steps and measures of success. Scenario Planning may be a useful business tool to ensure long-term success. It may become imperative to be able to “turn on a dime,” shift your business strategies and develop new models, especially if one of the factors above alters the business environment for renewable energy. New Mexico’s clean energy future may depend on it. Meanwhile, Taos County will strive to live up to the name that Brad Hockmeyer of KTAO Solar Radio 101.9, coined years ago, Taos: The Solar Capital of the World.

For more information on Scenario Planning, contact Erin Sanborn at 575.770.2991 or erin@collaborativegreen.com. For more information on community solar arrays, or to purchase panels, contact Steve Fuhlendorf, Kit Carson Electric Coop, at 575.758.2258, ext. 143, or sfuhlendorf@kitcarson.com. To learn more about the Taos Charter School’s array, contact Mary Emery, Coordinator for the Taos Charter School. She is at 575.770.8382 or memery1043@gmail.com.

Daniel Weinman

The evolution of solar power has come a long way since my family began utilizing it in 1979, when the technologies were in their infancy and the only demand for solar power grew from necessity rather than from its “green” benefits. In 2010, New Mexico ranked seventh in the nation among states for its number of grid-tie solar installations, and the industry is one of the fastest growing in the country.

During President Carter’s administration, the solar power boom was largely unregulated. A lot of unskilled handymen came out of the woodwork to install solar electric and thermal systems on homes. They would collect their money, which was largely subsidized by the government, and disappear, leaving behind inadequate systems and dissatisfied solar consumers.

In 1979, my father, Michael Weinman, an electrical engineer, wanted to bring electricity to people who were living beyond the power grid. Our family was living in the mountains of northern New Mexico when my father began to install solar for surrounding homes, including our own. The first time I saw an electric light in my home, it was being powered by a solar electric system my father installed. At the time, it was primarily the hippies who were interested in the benefits of solar power, but there were also movie stars, radio stations and even whole communities who saw that solar could meet their needs. The terms “eco,” “green” and “carbon footprint” didn’t even exist. The main drive for these people to seek solar electricity was its ability to give them electric lighting in remote areas so they wouldn’t have to rely on messy kerosene lanterns. These are the origins of PPC Solar.

Back then the technology we currently have to support solar was not available. There were no charge controllers or efficient inverters, so my father created his own devices. He constructed charge controllers and voltage regulators. They were key components to ensure that the batteries did not get overcharged.

Aside from my father, there were other pioneers in New Mexico leading the industry into the future, such as Windy Dankoff, a friend of my father’s, who developed his own line of direct-current pumps to run without the use of inverters. Sandia National Laboratories has also had a big role in solar technological advances for the industry. They research and develop solar power, including photovoltaics and concentrating solar power, to strengthen the U.S. solar industry and improve the manufacturability, reliability and cost competitiveness of solar energy technologies and systems.

As modern technology evolved through the years, the solar industry did not get left behind. We now have state-of-the-art maximum power point tracking charge controllers and inverters that can maximize every little bit of energy from each solar cell. With this technology, solar electric systems have become more reliable, more efficient and more cost-effective. Today, we see as many people living with solar electricity on Main Street as those living off the grid. It seems as though everybody has their eye on solar now—homeowners, businesses and even the utilities. Local rural electric co-ops, like Kit Carson Electric in Taos, utilize solar electricity to meet their state-mandated renewable portfolio standards (RPS). State and local governments are also getting into the game, as demonstrated by a joint project of Santa Fe County and the city of Santa Fe to power the Buckman Direct Diversion Water Plant, a massive fresh water treatment facility, with a 1.2 megawatt solar system.

Now that solar electricity is becoming mainstream and cost-effective, it offers people the opportunity to control their energy costs and invest in their own energy futures. It is easier than ever for homeowners to capitalize on these opportunities with the availability of low-interest, flexible-term loans. This means you can borrow money to pay for a solar electric system and pay the same, or often times less, per month to produce your own energy rather than having to buy it from your utility company.

But the utilities are also investing in solar power so that they can offer consumers energy from clean, renewable sources. In fact, utilities are now required under state law to obtain a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources, such as solar and wind. As a result, there are utility power plants that utilize hundreds of acres of solar as well as utility-owned distributed generation feeding directly to communities. With this comes a less strained and more reliable grid and also a stronger localized energy economy.

It seems that solar energy has come full circle. Now that solar is becoming more widely embraced, people are now asking, “How can I get this?” instead of saying, “That hippie stuff doesn’t work.” We owe it to the solar pioneers who believed in the future of renewable energy and put their efforts into the evolution of solar technology. This is my solar story… what’s yours going to be?

Daniel Weinman is CEO of PPC Solar in Taos, NM, which has been “Powering the Future since 1979.” 575.737.5896, www.ppcsolar.com

PPC Solar Expanding Services into Colorado Springs

Paradise Power Company/PPC Solar has announced that the company is opening a new full-service branch in Colorado Springs, Colo. The existing office in Taos, NM will remain the company’s headquarters.

Since its inception in 1979, PPC Solar has been on a mission to bring renewable energy to help build more sustainable communities. “We are opening the new branch that will make solar services more accessible to more people, and help catalyze small business growth, create new jobs and contribute to the overall economic health of the community,” said Daniel Weinman, PPC Solar’s president and CEO.

Craig O’Hare

Santa Fe County established the Office of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the spring of 2011. The Office promotes deployment of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies in county facilities and operations and in the residential and commercial sectors to promote “green economy” job creation and economic development. Our public outreach, education and technical assistance services are available to all county residents and businesses, including those located within the city limits of Santa Fe, Edgewood and Española. Encouraging the adoption of cost-effective energy-efficiency measures by businesses and homeowners will decrease energy utility expenditures, while creating locally sourced clean energy jobs. Money saved through energy efficiency stays in the local economy and contributes to overall (not just clean-energy-related) job creation.

Many citizens and business owners are unaware that solar photovoltaic systems cost about half of what they did just a few years ago. A 3-kilowatt (kW) system, a fairly robust size for a medium-sized home, might have cost $30,000 or more five years ago. Today, that system will cost between $15,000 and20,000, depending on your roof conditions and the type of system you choose. And that’s before receiving a 30% federal and 10% state income tax credit! Your net cost for a 3 kW system may end up being between $9,000 and $12,000. In addition, PNM still has incentives (though they are decreasing rapidly) to pay you for the power produced from your system.

HUD’s 203K Home Improvement Loans for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Buying a home or refinancing your existing home? Use a low-interest HUD 203K loan to fund energy efficiency and solar power improvements! Most energy improvements can pay for themselves immediately.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Federal Housing Administration (FHA) provides loan guarantees to mortgage lenders for home purchases and refinancing. An exciting FHA loan offering is the “203K” loan that allows substantive upgrades to be made to the home, the cost of which can be included in the usual 30-year mortgage. This program is not limited to just low- or even moderate-income citizens. There are no income limits on obtaining a 203K loan. The only limit is on the amount of the loan, which is determined by region by FHA. In Santa Fe County, the current loan limit (to fund either the purchase or refinancing of the home and the cost of the improvements) is approximately $425,000.

All sorts of improvements to the home can be funded with a 203K loan: a new roof, painting, kitchen and bath remodels, energy efficiency renovations (e.g. new windows, blowing insulation in the walls, attic sealing and insulation, a new efficient furnace, etc.) and solar power systems (roof-top solar electric systems, solar thermal water heating or space heating systems, etc.). Even improvements to a groundwater well can be accomplished. 203K loans cannot be used for new homes (homes must be at least one year old) or to increase the “footprint” of the home (i.e., room additions).

Because energy efficiency improvements and/or solar systems reduce your monthly electricity, natural gas and/or propane expenditures, it’s possible that the small increase they add to your mortgage payment will be more than offset by the reduction to your energy expenditures. That means you’re immediately better off financially. This is possible because the 203K loan allows you to both: 1) take advantage of mortgage interest rates (e.g., 4.5%) that are a lot lower than the interest rate associated with taking out a personal loan (possibly 7-8%), and 2) spread the costs of the improvements over the 30-year term of the mortgage, rather than just the 8-15 years of other loans. Both of these loan benefits, combined, result in a much lower monthly loan payment than would be possible with more traditional loans available. So, it’s possible that while a combination of appropriately selected energy efficiency and solar power upgrades may increase your monthly mortgage payments by $30-40 per month, your monthly energy utility bills may decrease by $50-80 per month! Furthermore, as with kitchen and bathroom remodels, market experience confirms that clean energy improvements are later reflected in a higher sales price for your home—creating a secondary investment benefit.

If this opportunity is of interest to you and you’re buying an existing home, be sure to let your realtor know that you’re interested in doing upgrades to the home you’re going to purchase using the FHA 203K loan option. If you’re refinancing your existing home and are interested in doing improvements to your home, be sure the mortgage lender you use does HUD/FHA 203K loans. Only certain lenders do FHA lending and, of those, only some of them do 203K loans. Hopefully, more HUD 203K loan lenders will enter the market as consumer demand increases for this great opportunity.

Homewise Energy Improvements Loans

Homewise, a private non-profit organization, is a full-service agency promoting affordable homeownership through financing home purchases and home improvements and providing financial counseling and classes. Unlike the FHA 203K loan, Homewise focuses its offerings on low and moderate-income families. For home improvements, interest rates are low (approximately 4-6%) and can be financed over as long as a 30 year period—keeping the monthly loan payments as low as possible.

If your annual household income is under $103,050, Homewise may be able to help you finance energy-efficiency and water conservation improvements, routine maintenance and emergency repairs. Be sure to check directly with Homewise regarding their current program offerings, interest rates, and income limits! www.homewise.org, 505.983.WISE (9473). Repairs that qualify for Homewise financing include: roof repair or replacement, stucco, Energy Star® windows and doors, high efficiency furnaces and A/C, solar hot water, solar PV, insulation, water catchment and drip irrigation systems and disability modifications.

Speakers Bureau: The county’s Energy Specialists are available to your neighborhood or homeowner’s association, business or industry group and to other events and forums to present helpful information about cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy opportunities. Feel free to call or e-mail us if you’re interested. Also, see our website for helpful links.

Craig O’Hare is the Energy Programs Specialist with Santa Fe County

505.992.3044, cohare@santafecounty.org, www.santafecounty.org/public_works/energy

Families in New Mexico could save $309 every year on their electricity bills by 2030 if the government invests in improving the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings, according to a report released last month by Environment New Mexico, a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization.

Using government data, the report, Building a Better America: Saving Energy and Money with Efficiency, says that saving energy in buildings would also reduce global warming pollution from buildings by 31 percent—the equivalent of taking more than 657,000 cars off the road.“It’s time to build better,” said Sanders Moore, Environment NM’s director. “Bold efficiency measures for buildings can cut energy use in our homes and businesses by almost a quarter by 2030. The best part is that these measures pay for themselves as consumers enjoy lower energy bills and a cleaner environment year after year.”

Right now, 40 percent of the energy used in America goes to heat, cool and power buildings. And because much of this energy comes from sources such as coal, oil and natural gas, this accounts for nearly half of the pollution contributing to global warming in the country. Furthermore, much of this energy is wasted, flying out of leaky doors and windows. This level of energy consumption pumps billions of tons of emissions into the atmosphere and costs Americans nearly $400 billion every year, the report says.

Gary Goodman, Chief Executive Officer of Goodman Realty and owner of Albuquerque’s Hotel Andaluz said, “Energy efficiency is a ‘win-win’ proposition. There is a good payback on the investment, we promote our local economy, conserve resources and reduce pollution. In addition, there is a very real opportunity to make Albuquerque and NM a national leader in the field of resource management.”

Environment New Mexico is calling for policies that will help reach efficiency goals, including:

• Steady improvements to building codes over time so that all new buildings are increasingly efficient, culminating in a zero net energy standard by 2030, when new buildings should be so efficient that they can produce all the energy they need on site using renewable energy such as wind and solar.
• Investing in energy retrofits and weatherization to improve the efficiency of existing buildings 30 percent by 2030.
• Supporting innovative financing mechanisms that will unleash public and private investment in building efficiency.

As documented in the report, successful efficiency programs and incentives at the federal, state and local levels are already paying off. For example, Silver Gardens, a mixed-income, award-winning apartment building in downtown Albuquerque, is helping tenants maintain low electric bills by reducing overall energy use by a minimum of 27 percent over conventionally constructed buildings. Shelly Capone with Romero-Rose, the developer and owner of Silver Gardens, noted that they are “very proud to have produced a high energy-efficient, mixed-income apartment complex on a former brownfield site in downtown Albuquerque.”

“There are already thousands of super-efficient buildings all around the country. The Silver Gardens apartment building and Hotel Andaluz are two examples right here in downtown Albuquerque,” said Moore. “Most buildings last for decades, so investing in energy efficiency locks in savings for years to come and builds a strong foundation for the future of our environment and our economy.”

Students for a Sustainable Future (SSF), a group of environmentally-aware students (a.k.a. unabashed tree huggers) from St. John’s College in Santa Fe are working in collaboration with the Climate Change Leadership Institute (www.takeresponsibility.us) on a direct action project – LIFT the FOG (Launch Integrity and Facing Truth in Fracking Oil and Gas), which aims to push for sensible regulations in the fracking industry and promote responsible energy development.

On May 14 at noon, SSF will host a 1-mile march to protest the attempt by the oil and gas industry to overturn New Mexico’s PIT rule, which provides for proper wastewater disposal while fracking for fossil fuels. The march will start at the Santa Fe train depot (410 S. Guadalupe St.) and go to the NM Energy Minerals & Natural Resources Dept. (1220 So. St. Francis Dr.)

For more information or to sign up, go to http://www.takeresponsibility.us/PDF/MARCH%20FOR%20RESPONSIBLE%20ENERGY.pdf

A simple environmental audit to measure your business or organization’s progress in integrating earth-wiser lifestyle habits

Anyone can conduct an environmental audit of your business or community center. First, choose an audit team. Your team can be made up of members of your leadership, your environmental committee, or any group of people from your organization who will take some time to do it. To conduct your audit, the audit team should review your organization’s procedures, and answer each of the following questions “Yes” or “No.”

Part A. Energy (electricity and gas):

1. Do you know how much electricity and natural gas you use?

2. Do you keep your thermostat at 68 or lower in the winter? At 78 or higher in the summer?

3. Do you turn off lights, heat, fans and air conditioning when the building is not in use? Do you turn off all possible appliances (including computers, copiers, media centers, battery chargers) when they are not in use?

4. Has proper insulation been provided in buildings? Has caulking been applied around windows?

5. For summer heat, do you use shades, cross-ventilation, attic vent fans, and other simple cooling devices?

6. Do you use energy-saving light bulbs?

7. Do you use clean and renewable energy sources? If your power company offers a “green power” program for renewably sourced power, have you subscribed?

8. As you replace products and appliances, are you making “power-down” (energy free) selections?

Part B. Water:

9. Do you know how much water you use?

10. Do you practice water conservation all the time, not just when drought restrictions require it?

11. Have you installed low-flow aerators on all taps? High-efficiency toilets?

12. Have you had your water checked for lead content and other pollutants?

13. Do you serve filtered tap water, rather than bottled water, at meetings and events?

14. Have you matched landscaping plants to your climate? Have you eliminated unused lawn areas?

15. If you use landscaping irrigation, is it efficient in water use (drip, soaker, climate-controlled timer)?

16. Do you collect rainwater (with rainwater barrels or with appropriate grading) for watering landscape areas?

Part C. Air pollution:

17. Have you declared your site a smoke-free zone?

18. Have you had your air checked for asbestos, radon and other pollutants?

19. Is a push-mower used on any remaining lawn areas? Have you eliminated leaf-blowers?

Part D. Cleaning:

20. Do you use low-impact cleaners such as baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice?

21. Do you use organic techniques rather than chemical pesticides?

22. Do you avoid the use of toxic products (batteries, cleaning supplies, paint) whenever possible?

Part E. Solid waste:

23. Do you recycle? Paper and cardboard? Glass? Aluminum? Plastic?

24. Is the number of document copies you make consistent with need so that waste is minimized? Do you use paper efficiently by using both sides?

25. Do you buy products (such as copier paper, toilet paper) made from recycled material? Do you try to eliminate unnecessary packaging?

26. Do you use reusable items (such as china, plasticware, mugs, silverware, cloth dish towels, cloth napkins) at meetings, dinners, coffee hours, and other functions?

27. Is the amount of food served consistent with need so that waste is minimized?

28. Do you use a compost bin for your yard waste, kitchen scraps, and coffee grounds?

29. Have you contacted mail preference services and catalogs with a notice to remove your organization’s name from their mailing list?

30. Do you “unshop” by buying only things that you really need? Do you make it a practice to buy products that can be reused or repaired? Do you discard goods and products only after their useful life is over?

31. Do you dispose of toxic products (like batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, old chemicals) through proper means, as designated by your local government?

Part F. Landscaping:

32. If your building has large surrounding grounds, is part of your land used as a wildlife sanctuary, with native trees, shrubs and ground cover chosen to provide food and shelter for birds and small mammals and to reduce the need for water and fertilizer? If your building has small surrounding grounds, do you have wildflower patches or small areas dedicated to preserving the natural environment?

33. Do you use organic methods rather than chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers?

34. Have you planted trees to shade buildings and reduce energy costs?

35. Have you devoted any portion of your grounds to edible landscaping, to grow locally-sourced food?

Part G. Travel:

36. Does your parking lot offer bike racks?

37. Are group members encouraged to carpool, use mass transit, and to walk or bike whenever possible?

38. Do you keep resource conservation—such as traveling miles—in mind when selecting and planning activities? Do you avoid air flights, particularly “short hop” flights under 500 miles?

Part H. Activities:

39. Do you discuss the needs of the environment throughout the year?

40. Do you sponsor programs on the environment? Joint environmental activities with other organizations? Do you support environmental organizations and activities in your area?

Summary:

Total number of questions answered “Yes”: _____

Total number of questions answered “No”: ____

Each question that was answered “Yes” indicates that you are doing your part to uphold our commitment to the Earth. Now the audit team should work to build a plan to attack the ones that were checked “No.”

And— save this audit and try it again in one year. See how much your score has improved by then.

Source: Environmental Change-Making: How to Cultivate Lasting Change in Your Community (www.EnviroChangeMakers.org)

Utility and Commercial Demand for Solar Is Up in New Mexico

New Mexico Business Weekly reports that New Mexico’s solar manufacturing companies are showing substantial growth in utility- and commercial-scale projects.

Native American-owned, Albuquerque-based Sacred Power Corp. installs solar systems at, among other places, military installations and on tribal lands. The company has forecast double-digit expansion. Unirac, Inc., which makes mounting platforms for solar trackers, is projecting an 80 percent revenue increase, and is considering a second expansion of its Albuquerque facility.

Part of the reason for the companies’ growth is attributed to price declines for large solar systems. Costs have fallen from about $5 per megawatt hour of installed capacity five years ago to less than $2.50 today. A 30 percent federal tax incentive has also helped.

A significant drop in Public Service Company of New Mexico’s solar incentives has help precipitate increased competition among local installation firms. A number of NM solar firms, such as Unirac and Array Technologies, also sell in national and international markets, and have been able to operate in areas where there is strong residential demand.

Solar Array Coming to Navajo Land

The Dine (Navajo) community of To’Hajiilee has signed an agreement with SunPower to develop a 30-megawatt photovoltaic array on 200 acres west of Albuquerque. The Shandiin Solar project, one of 19 renewable energy initiatives funded as part of the US Dept. of Energy’s Tribal Energy Program, will be the largest photovoltaic power plant on tribal land in the US. Some historic sites are to be protected, and grazing will be allowed to continue in the area.

When a power purchase agreement is signed, construction on the $124 million project could be completed within nine months. Utilities, municipalities and the federal government are considering purchasing the electricity. The Navajo Nation is considering developing up to 4,000 megawatts of solar power.

Chalom Receives Pioneer Award

Santa Fe architect Mark Chalom has been honored by the American Solar Energy Society with a Passive Pioneer Award for innovation in passive solar design. For decades Chalom has researched, designed and built solar homes that can be heated and cooled without highly energy-dependent systems. Through proper site orientation and strategically selected materials, Chalom’s homes absorb heat during the day and release it at night.

Chalom worked with William Lumpkin, Peter Van Dresser and others who pioneered passive solar in the 1970s, when New Mexico was in the forefront of the movement. When tax credits were rescinded and, for a time, energy prices were low, homebuilders lost interest in passive solar as more high-tech options became available. In the meantime, Chalom and passive solar’s devotees have continued to perfect the efficiency and the aethethics of their designs, some of which are complete systems that include water harvesting, solar cookers and water heaters, recycled effluent and self-generated energy.

Chalom has challenged some widely accepted elements of contemporary green building, such as HERS (Home Energy Rating System), which, he says, fails to adequately value the heat retention properties of adobe and other natural materials, and doesn’t give enough credit for the energy efficiency of passive solar designs.

 Largest Solar Array in New Mexico

A 1.5-megawatt (MW) solar array, to be completed this month, will provide electricity for 30,000 homes and businesses in north-central NM. The 14-acre array will add to power already being generated from a concentrated photovoltaic 1-MW array near Questa, NM. The new project, called RCCLA Amalia Solar Array 1, is expected to power about 376 homes each year. RCCLA stands for Rio Costilla Cooperative Livestock Association, a group of ranchers who allowed the array to be built on their land, and partnered with Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, Standard Solar and Washington Gas Energy Systems on the project. Paradise Power Co. of Taos is the project manager.

The single axis tracking system uses 5,280 solar panels. When completed, the array will cover an area larger than 15.5 football fields, making it the largest area of land with the largest number of power consumers in NM to be supplied with electricity by renewable sources. The facility will offset about 1,500 tons of greenhouse gasses, equivalent to planting 221 acres of forest, according to a news release.

Santa Fe County’s Office of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency is conducting two free energy assistance forums. On May 3^rd, the Residential Forum will focus on available energy efficiency and renewable energy incentives and financing for homeowners. On May 7^th, the Commercial Forum will focus on cost-effective energy-related improvements that area businesses can take advantage of. Both forums begin at 6 pm and take place in the Board of County Commission Chambers in the County Administration Building, 102 Grant Avenue.

After informational presentations and a question and answer session, renewable energy (solar electric, solar hot water, ground-source heat pumps, etc.) and energy efficiency businesses will be available to discuss their services and options with attendees. At the Commercial Forum, a representative from PNM will provide an overview of the substantial energy efficiency rebates available to businesses.

The forums are free and open to citizens and businesses throughout Santa Fe County, including those within the Santa Fe, Española, and Edgewood city limits.

“There are a host of federal, state, and utility incentives available to homeowners and businesses to install cost-effective renewable energy and energy efficiency measures,” noted Craig O’Hare, Energy Programs Specialist for the County. “Many are unaware of the incentives available and, in the case of solar photovoltaic electric systems, also unaware that costs have dropped nearly in half in the last five years.”

For more information, see the county’s website (www.santafecounty.org/public_works/energy) or contact O’Hare at 992.3044, cohare@santafecounty.org.

Jorge Garcia

Recently I had an opportunity to fly over Las Vegas, Nevada. As I looked down at the northeast part of the city, I was dumbfounded at the sight of all the suburban houses that have a pool. This was in sharp contrast to the land beyond the surrounding mountains that provide shelter to the Las Vegas Valley. I found myself thinking about the water crisis looming beyond those mountains, and how we continue to challenge and upset local ecosystems based on our often irresponsible notions of development. And so I found myself questioning the rationale behind having so many houses with pools and whether these houses belong in the sort of fragile ecosystem landscape in which La Vegas and many other Southwestern cities have grown.

As I reflected about water and our own struggle to maintain water in the Atrisco Valley in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I remembered Dr. Brian H. Hurd and Dr. Coonrod’s study on climate change and its effects on development, agriculture and populations in NM.¹ Their premise is that “NM’s social, economic and environmental systems are highly vulnerable to the increasing water scarcity that is projected to affect the state as a result of future climate change.” When I read this, I could not stop thinking about how in NM, our food security depends both on a fragile ecosystem and on imports of food from other areas of the country and other countries. What would happen if we lost our ability to produce food here and there was a breakdown in the food chain due to the scarcity of water or to any other catastrophe that stopped us from receiving food from neighboring states?

It was not a sense of hopelessness and pessimism that evoked this question, but rather an honest quest for understanding how development is viewed in our society and why there is a continuing struggle to keep our water systems from being taken to support new developments. Of course in our market society, demand rules; and so as long as there are eager and able buyers on one hand, and willing and needy sellers on the other, water will continue to be moved from one geographic location to another. The result is that we will witness more and more agricultural land being put to rest because water rights will continue to be transferred to satisfy new housing developments, industrial uses and indiscriminate pumping by municipalities.

There are some voices warning us that unless we seriously think about future water scarcity, between the years 2030 and 2080, our future generations will experience a major crisis due to the lack of water and the inability to grow enough food locally. According to a study released by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of New Mexico², the Middle Rio Grande region experienced demographic growth of 53 percent from 1990 to 2000. Precipitation, on the other hand, is projected to fall 40 percent from present levels, and so the question is, where are we going to get water to satisfy compact agreements, continue building computer chips, accommodate new development and grow food? The projections made by professors Hurd and Coonrod show that between the years 2030 and 2080, New Mexico will grow between 45.7 percent and 75.7 percent. So as population increases, the whole region will experience a drought that will have to be dealt with somehow.

It appears likely that dependency on food from other places will continue to dominate the already fragile state of affairs in which New Mexicans live. We currently spend less than 1 percent of all food cash receipts on local food. More than 99 percent of cash spent on food is spent on imported food and food products, and most of the food produced in NM is exported.³ So the question in terms of development is, what development are we actually fostering as a society when our most basic form of subsistence is being grown outside of NM’s borders? How do we resolve this predicament?

Before NM became a recognized state, it was a place where people grew food, survived on a bartering system and were highly dependent on the smart use of limited resources. The advent of modernization and the management and control of water by state agencies have complicated our ability to sustain ourselves as a bioregion. The general sense at the community level and with small farmers is that rules and regulations are being used as a pretext to get rid of traditional farmers and ranchers. Some farmers and ranchers feel that the USDA and FDA are trying to squeeze out the mid- and smaller producers.

Meanwhile, trying to survive within this chaos is the acequia culture practiced by Indo-Hispanic NM families, which has created a legacy of sustainability through community networks and democratic systems of decision-making and responsibility at the community level. Urban sprawl and industrial development, along with common contemporary notions about development, continue to threaten the existing acequia system in NM as a viable system for water management and a way to preserve small-scale agriculture as an economic asset for our community.

In the relatively modern history of New Mexico (1600s to the present), acequias have served as a social system through which community rituals and responsibilities are created. Acequias have also served as management entities that connect and organize entire communities and connect them to their past and future. Acequias carry seed for economic development by facilitating the growth of local organic foods and healthy families.

So, if water is in such a predicament here, we have to ask ourselves why we fail to take steps toward securing a future in which it can be a source of vitality rather than a source of conflict and social stress.

I believe that it will be extremely difficult to change the existing political will needed to secure and create development that takes into account our water limitations. That does not mean that we need to stop pushing for development that is responsive to our needs and the needs of our future generations. Our notion of development has to respond to our future needs as a society, not just to the excesses and bad planning that have been created under notions of grandeur that have ruled over any logic to protect agricultural land and water resources.

According to Herbert W. Yeo, former NM State Engineer, “There are approximately 31,435 irrigable acres in the South Valley. This represents approximately 94,305 acre/feet in pre-1907 water rights. The enormous cultural and capital values of these water rights are irrefutable. Culturally, they represent a historic treasure unique to the Southwest.” Using a value of $50,000 per acre/foot of water, this represents a South Valley capital asset worth in excess of $4.7 billion, less the value of water rights transferred from the ancient and existing acequias. This asset must be used for the benefits of the citizens that own water rights and to do smart planning around food systems. This capital asset has the potential to derive extensive benefit for South Valley community development and for the entire region.

So, understanding that we are in the middle of a drought, we need to do checks and balances on what is important for our food security. My take on is that we need to better prepare for the long ride and for the adversities that the lack of precipitation promises to bring. There is a lot that needs to be done to secure the future sustainability of our region, and unless we start thinking right now, when we get around to do it, it might be too late; our future generations will have to suffer the consequences of our irresponsible use of water today.

1 http://agecon.nmsu.edu/bhurd

2 Río Jemez & Río Puerco Subregional Water Plan

3  http://www.dreamingnewmexico.org/food/ff-local-foodshed/ff-foodshed-facts

Jorge Garcia, vice president of the South Valley Regional Association of Acequias, is the founder of the Center for Social Sustainable Systems. He is currently working with El Centro de la Raza at the University of New Mexico. cesoss2004@gmail.com

Growing Season 2012

Miguel Santistévan

This growing season is already progressing with activity, hope and enthusiasm for what is to come. From our grow-dome at Chrysalis High School in Taos, last month we harvested our first batch of greens for salad and sauté. Our students have been surprised at how good fresh greens taste, and have amazed themselves with their ability to thin and transplant seedlings. While our outer beds explode in greenery, we are working to double our production area through the construction of the center beds for fruit and vegetables, in addition to specialty crops like cotton and gourds. We will also have a couple of trees to create an upper story canopy within the dome.

Cleaning acequias is a fundamental event in the growing season, and this year our students were able to get some hands-on experience with our local Acequia Madre del Sur. Most had already cleaned acequias, and thought our acequia was easier to clean because it is mostly an earthen bed, as opposed to others that have more rocks. They talked about the process of clearing jaras, or willows, from the banks and bed of the acequia. A couple of students noted that one of their acequias seems to travel uphill; they start in the canyon and end up at the top of the mesa. At the time of this acequia cleaning, we were lucky to have a group visiting from the University of California, Santa Cruz that came to learn about regional agriculture. These college students had the opportunity to interact with our students for some cross-cultural exchange while they helped clean a lateral of our Acequia Madre and share a meal afterwards.

Our most exciting project is the Parr Field Garden Project. The President of our Board, Jason Weisfeld, a 5^th-grade teacher at Enos Garcia Elementary School, was able to get authorization to establish a vegetable garden at the school, which is located near the farmers’ market and Taos Plaza. It is such a large field that we were able to use a 100-X-60-foot corner to put in a garden for the benefit of the students and families of the Taos schools. The project will provide agricultural experience and the potential to directly supply food for the school lunch program.

AIRE has partnered with local non-profit Tierra Lucero (tierralucero.org) to prepare the soil, install a drip irrigation system and implement greenhouse production, raised beds and a milpa of native sweet corn, local purple “green” beans and native squash. Tierra Lucero calls this combination of strategies a “production unit.” It is intended to be able to provide the food needs for 10 families for a year if optimized. We have access to a certified kitchen at Chrysalis High School that can be used to process our produce for the school’s lunch program or to provide opportunities for the students to market their produce.

We will also be providing produce to the families of our student participants at a fall harvest celebration. Our site, complete with an horno recently funded by the McCune Foundation, will be used to process sweet corn into chicos, an iconic food of our regional culture. The McCune Foundation has also provided funds for 10 student interns to work at Parr Field and Sol Feliz Farm this year. We have a three-year agreement with Tierra Lucero to develop the project. And, as we’re just not able to turn interested students away, we have hired 16 interns known as sembradores, or “planters of the land,” and we are looking into aspects of our project that could generate funds to cover their additional stipends.

The Parr Field Garden Project has the potential to be irrigated by a lateral of the Acequia del Pueblo, which has been all but paved over in the last generation or so. It used to run through the Historic District. I have been appointed to the Town of Taos Acequia Preservation Task Force and have participated in a mapping and planning process to identify the acequias in the district for restoration. Where the Parr Field Garden Project will initially be drip-irrigated, a successful collaboration among all of these parties may result in the field being irrigated with water from the Acequia del Pueblo in the future.

Our ongoing projects at Sol Feliz Farm are also progressing nicely. We have planted six rows of alberjon (peas) and habas (fava beans) for seed propagation, food and research. In evolving our cropping strategy, we are reorienting our irrigation rows to run along the contour for maximum water infiltration. We used an “A-frame” or “water level” to find the level of the land. Given last year’s experience with drought, we are spacing our rows and the crops therein to provide a better opportunity for survival if dry conditions persist. We are grateful for acequia waters, but are reminded of the age-old dryland agricultural techniques that were common to this region before the arrival of the acequia tradition. The acequia tradition is also complete with dryland agricultural techniques called secano or al temporal. Given the positive experience with our white corn harvest in 2011, when acequia waters went dry at the end of June, we look forward to another year of crop survival and adaptation, even though there might be some challenges ahead.

We are moving onto two new plots of land at Sol Feliz this year. On all of our fields we will be employing the milpa system (corn, beans, and squash). In years past we preferred to have different plots for each crop; for example, four rows of corn next to four rows of beans next to a couple of rows of squash. We will be intercropping all of the crops and creating more space between the plants. Where we used to space our plants about 1.5-to-2 feet in rows about three feet apart, we are now planting our corn about three feet apart, interspaced with beans in rows approximately five feet apart. In about every 150 to 200 square feet will be a mound of squash. It is important to note that we will be planting about three seeds in every hole and not thinning any of them out.

We are taking our inspiration for our milpas from the books Zapotec Science by Roberto J. González and Believe in the Corn by Robert Mirabal. Where a conventional gardener/farmer might see this as an inefficient use of garden space, given the spacing between rows and plants, it is actually a less intensive use of the soil that allows crops to work together while they develop strength in finding their own soil nutrients and water. In addition, there is a concept in agricultural analysis called the Land Equivalency Ratio that compares the total yields of crops planted in monoculture with intercropped strategies. It has been found that when planted together, maize and the crops mixed therein (beans and squash) can produce as much as 40-50 percent more than when they are planted in plots by themselves. The challenge with the milpa system, however, is that it requires more intimate human management than can be afforded with contemporary conventional/industrial agricultural techniques. This is not a problem for us in that we prefer to be intimate with our crops, do most of our management by hand and get to know our rows’ and our crops’ individual characteristics.

As we begin the 2012 growing season, we are reminded of the challenges of the past while we anticipate the unknown of the future, especially with regard to climate change. As we study the agricultural successes of our predecessors in the region, it is clear that dryland techniques of the Native Americans and acequia culture were important in creating food security for the community. Part of this success must have also been attributed to diverse cropping styles as seen in the milpa system. As we try our hand at creating sustainable agriculture for the future, we must relearn the best practices of the past.

Miguel Santistevan, Executive Director of AIRE, is also Chairman of the Acequia Madre del Sur del Río de Don Fernando de Taos. Email: solfelizfarm@gmail.com; For more info, visit: www.solfelizfarm.org or www.growfarmers.org.