Summary

The Pueblo of Laguna's renewable energy program is to establish the Majors Ranch, a Laguna owned operation, as a self-contained community with its own source of electrical power utilizing its solar and wind resources. The Majors Ranch buildings, bunkhouses, workshops, barns, windmills, water pumps, etc., are located at least 10 miles off the closest utility grid.

Under the project, the Pueblo of Laguna will install 8.1kWdc photovoltaic/wind, solar hot water system, drinking water systems, and communication system to be located at the Majors Ranch.

The renewable energy generated electricity will provide power for the following uses:

  • Pumping water for domestic use and economic and infrastructure development.

  • Provide electricity:
    • To the ranch house and bunkhouses.
    • For security lighting for the area.
    • For a greenhouse operations and drip irrigation system. For barns and workshop area.
  • For communications:
    • Short-wave Radio
    • Cell or satellite telephone/computers (interact)

  • For wastewater treatment.

  • The solar hot water systems will provide heating water for domestic use.

Project Description

The Pueblo of Laguna owns a 20,000-acre ranch known as the Majors Ranch. The ranch was purchased for the purposes of raising livestock including cattle, sheep, and horses. It contains a main ranch house with several buildings including bunk houses/living quarters, barn, workshop, and storage buildings. The main ranch house, known as Majors Ranch, is located 25 miles north of 1-40 Rio Puerco (15 miles west of Albuquerque) exit on dirt roads. There is another bunkhouse location (known as C.C.) with several living quarters located 10 miles north of 140, Rio Puerco exit. (This bunkhouse is reached first). In addition, there are at least 25 windmill powered water wells scattered throughout the lands. At least 10 of them are not functioning due to age of the windmills, with 3 of them close to the ranch houses. The cowboys and ranch hands that watch and take of the livestock currently and actively use the C.C. living quarters.

The Majors Ranch facilities are currently used and operated by the Laguna Service Center, an operating division of the Pueblo of Laguna, for the purposes of running a Youth Program and Retreat. Activities there for youth and adults include activities such as hikes, compass course, team building skills, and challenge course, storytelling, games and swimming. The objectives of most of these activities are centered on respect, trust, and communication. The Laguna Service Center is renovating the buildings and facilities, as some are rather old. All the buildings and facilities are off the electricity utility grid. The closest utility pole is at least 10 miles away.

Current utility services at the Majors Ranch include 1 kW of single crystalline photovoltaics with storage batteries that provide power for the main ranch house only. This system is in good repair.

Other utilities include the following:

  • A five horsepower gasoline powered water pump used to fill a 2500-gallon water tank.

  • A 12.5 kW gasoline generator currently not running;

  • A 35 foot high wind turbine at least 30 years old, not running.

  • 1000-gallon propane tank for stove and hot water. Propane is delivered from Grants, NM, over 70 miles away.

Project Overview

Under the Cooperative Agreement, the Pueblo of Laguna will install 8.1kWdc photovoltaic/ wind, solar hot water system, drinking water systems, and communication system to be located at the Majors Ranch. The systems are as follows:

  • Install a 4.8kW fixed-tilt Solar Array and Balance of Systems (BAS) tied to the battery bank.

  • Install a 1.5kW Wind Turbine and BAS tied to the battery bank. Install a new 40-foot wind tower located at the top of the hill.

  • Install a 1.2kW-watt PV array system and BAS for the swimming pool water pumping. Refurbish swimming pool tank and install water lines to field for irrigating.

  • Install a 48V 1100amp/hour-battery bank. Operate the bunkhouse, other buildings, and the up-top water well off the battery bank. Install sensors on water tank to determine automated water pump on-off operation.

  • Install ac submersible water pumps in both the pump jack well, and the swimming pool well.

  • Move the existing 480-wattt PV array and BAS to the tool barn and reinstall.

  • Install an on-site battery monitoring system and kilowatt generator display.

  • Install a wireless communication system, for safety reasons.

  • Replace the 500-gallon water tank with a 1,550-gallon human consumption tank.

  • Install a drinking water purification system.

  • Install 120-gallon solar hot water system on bunkhouse.

  • Install a 600-watt PV submersible water pump located on either Majors, Montano or Sadillo Ranch.

Scope

The Pueblo of Laguna will contract for the engineering design and drawings; and build/construction of a 8.1kWdc photovoltaic/wind, solar hot water system, drinking water systems, and communication system to be located at the Majors Ranch.

The PV will use single or polycrystalline, tempered glass, UL rated modules with the 4.8kW PV array mounted in a South facing-fixed position tilted at latitude minus 5° and the 1.2kW VP array located at the swimming pool well utilizing passive trackers.

The PV Array, Wind Turbine, and Solar Hot Water System will be totally weather-resistant including rain, wind, snow, hail and sleet. Particular attention shall be made with regard to wind load and freezing calculations.

Utility grade inverters and other hardware will be used unless otherwise approved by DOE. The AC electricity generated by the PV will be connected to the ranch building electrical system, and the ac submersible water pump.

The wind turbine system shall utilize over speed devices and regulators that prevent damage to the turbine or overcharging to the batteries.

Project Location

The Pueblo of Laguna is one of the 19 Pueblos located in the State of New Mexico and the people speak the Keresan language. The Pueblo consists of 6 villages, which are Encinal, Laguna, Mesita, Paguate, Paraje and Seama, located along the western boundary of the Pueblo. The Pueblo is located about 50 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Pueblo of Laguna owns a 20,000-acre ranch known as the Majors Ranch. The ranch was purchased for the purposes of raising livestock including cattle, sheep, and horses. It contains a main ranch house with several buildings including bunk houses/living quarters, barn, workshop, and storage buildings. The main ranch house, known as Majors Ranch, is located 25 miles north of 1-40 Rio Puerco (15 miles west of Albuquerque) exit on dirt roads. There is another bunkhouse location (known as C.C.) with several living quarters located 10 miles north of 140, Rio Puerco exit. (This bunkhouse is reached first).

Status

As of February, the majority of the systems have been installed as follows:

  1. Installed a 4.8kW fixed-tilt Solar Array and Balance of Systems (BAS) tied to the battery bank (Mechanically installed by Energia Total, wired to BAS by Sacred Power).

  2. Installed a 1.2kW-watt PV array including a two-axis tracking system and BAS for the swimming pool water pumping. (Installed by Sacred Power).

  3. Refurbished swimming pool tank and install water lines to fields for irrigating. (Installed by Sacred Power).

  4. Installed a 48V 1100amp/hour-battery bank. Operate the bunkhouse, other buildings, and the up-top water well off the battery bank. Install sensors on water tank to determine automated water pump on-off operation. (Installed by Sacred Power).

  5. Installed ac submersible water pumps in both the pump jack well, and the swimming pool well. (Installed by Sacred Power).

  6. Moved the existing 480-wattt PV array and BAS to the tool barn and reinstall. (Installed by Sacred Power).

  7. Installed a wireless satellite communication system, for safety reasons. Installed by Indian Nations Technologies).

  8. Replaced the 500-gallon water tank with a 1,550-gallon human consumption tank. (Installed by Sacred Power).

  9. Installed a drinking water purification system. (Installed by Culligan).

  10. Installed 120-gallon solar hot water system on bunkhouse. (Installed by Sacred Power).

  11. Installed a 600-watt PV submersible water pump located on Majors, Montano or Sadillo Ranch. (Installed by Sacred Power).

  12. Installed a 1.5kW Wind Turbine and BAS tied to the battery bank. Install a new 40-foot wind tower located at the top of the hill. The wind turbine and tower have been wired to the battery house. The tower mount has been cemented into the ground. Rock anchors for the guy wires have been installed. (Installed by Sacred Power)

The items left to complete includes the following:

  1. Install an on-site battery monitoring system and kilowatt generator display. Kilowatt displays are included in the inverter system. The wiring for the house display are already trenched and wired. (Installation by Sacred Power).

  2. The swimming pool refurbishment has been difficult due to the age of the structure (over 50 years old). We have furnished/installed a commercial grade liner to hold the water, but attaching it to the rock/cement walls has been a challenge.

Project Status

For additional information, contact one of the project contacts.

Project Contact

George Pratt
Pueblo of Laguna
P.O. Box 194
Laguna, NM 87026
Telephone: (505) 552-6654

David Melton
Diversified Systems Manufacturing, LLC
2401 12th Street N.W., Suite 215
Albuquerque, NM 87104
Telephone: (505) 247-4604
Fax: (505) 247-4616
Email: Dmelton429@aol.com

<p><strong>Tribe/Awardee</strong><br />Pueblo of Laguna</p><p><strong>Location</strong><br />Laguna, NM</p><p><strong>Project Title</strong><br />Remote Applications of Renewable Technologies on Native American Lands</p><p><strong>Type of Application</strong><br />Deployment</p><p><strong>DOE Grant Number</strong><br />DE-FC36-99GO10467</p><p><strong>Project Amounts</strong><br />DOE: $220,820<br />Awardee: $55,205<br />Total: $276,025</p><p><strong>Project Status</strong><br />Complete</p><p><strong>Project Period of Performance</strong><br />Start: September 1999<br />End: July 2004</p>