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<\/p>\nMagnificent red sandstone bluffs dotted with juniper and pinon trees set against expansive blue sky to form a stunning backdrop for a recent solar PV install on Mary Benally\u2019s home in the Mexican Water Chapter of the Navajo Nation in Southeastern Utah. The project was a result of a collaboration between DesignBuildBLUFF, GRID Alternatives\u2019 Tribal Program and the Mexican Water Chapter House to bring clean renewable energy to the Benally family. The home was constructed through DesignBuildBLUFF, a nonprofit program affiliated with the University of Utah\u2019s College of Architecture + Planning. Through the program, University of Utah students annually design and construct a highly energy efficient home for a Navajo family from the Chapter.<\/p>\n
Through the efforts of DesignBuildBLUFF \u2019s Director, Jos\u00e9 Galarza and GRID Alternatives’ Tribal Program, this is the first build to incorporate solar PV on the home with volunteers from the community. According to Jose, \u201cIt typically takes years for our clients to get power, if ever, and to actually see renewable energies being applied to make this possible is a dream come true. We hope to continue to collaborate with GRID far into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the day of the install the weather forecast called for temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. Volunteers and GRID Alternatives\u2019 staff could hear traditional Navajo songs and old school country music playing on the Navajo radio station KTNN as they tightened nuts and ran wiring on the system. However, inside her kitchen below, Mary and her husband Gary were nice and cool due to their highly energy efficient home. As she cooked beans and fry bread, Mary reflected on the importance of her system, \u201cI really care about the environment and alternative energy is a better option for our people because our air is already being polluted by existing power plants to the East of us. Alternative energy is more efficient environmentally in every way and I like it very much.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Volunteer Brian Sagg, a local worker with construction experience commented, \u201cThis project that we did will greatly impact the family on saving them power in the future, and the hands on approach was great for me. I now have an understanding about how the system works, thanks to GRID and the way they explained the install.\u201d <\/p>\n
The project concluded with local high school students with summer internships at the chapter house visiting the home and learning firsthand about solar. With the sun high overhead, the students read off numbers on an irradiance meter measuring the intensity of the sun and looking at design plans. One student remarked that he was learning graphic design and could someday produce similar designs. The highlight was when the students watched intently as the digital electric meter spun backwards as clean solar energy was being sent back to the electrical grid from Mary\u2019s rooftop.<\/p>\n
When asked if the install changed his outlook on solar PV for the future, Brian said, \u201cNo, my view has never changed about the install. I have always thought that running solar power would be great for the environment and our way living on the Navajo reservation.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Magnificent red sandstone bluffs dotted with juniper and pinon trees set against expansive blue sky to form a stunning backdrop for a recent solar PV install on Mary Benally\u2019s home in the Mexican Water Chapter of the Navajo Nation in Southeastern Utah. The project was a result of a collaboration between DesignBuildBLUFF, GRID Alternatives\u2019 Tribal Program and the Mexican Water Chapter House to bring clean renewable energy to the Benally family.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3045,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[78,79],"tags":[],"audience":[],"content-type":[12],"focus-area":[24,74,35,73],"region":[],"series":[],"content-author":[],"class_list":["post-3044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity-community","category-workforce-education","content-type-news","focus-area-solar-spring-break","focus-area-tribal-energy","focus-area-tribal-program","focus-area-workforce-development"],"acf":{"hero_media_type":"image","hero_media_image":null,"hero_media_url":"","hero_media_poster":null,"hero_video_play":"inline","related_stories":null,"pattern_override":null,"story_callouts":null,"media":null,"featured_blog_post":null,"featured_event":null,"pdf_download":null,"blockquote":null,"author":null,"notice":null,"social_embed":null,"contact_card":null,"meta_details":null,"faq":null,"table":null},"yoast_head":"\n