Navajo Nation get hands-on with solar power

Power Maintenance training adds independence

An estimated 32% of households amongst the American Indian Navajo Nation – which occupies portions of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah – do not have electricity.

As a result as many as 92,000 Navajo’s lack modern conveniences such as refrigeration, heating, air conditioning, lighting, access to better medical care, and improved education opportunities.

Dr. Laurie Williams and her team at Navajo Nation Solar Initiative (NNSI) are working to change that. The team is building and installing Victron Energy based off-grid electricity systems which are donated to families who need it – and have no opportunity to connect to the electricity grid.

Part of the installation programme includes training in solar energy and a familiarisation with the devices used so that system-owners – of new and existing installations – will be empowered with the ability to diagnose faults and maintain their off-grid systems, independently.

Student volunteer Patty Pena finalises Inverter connections

Speaking about the initiative Dr. Laurie Williams says: We developed a comprehensive home assessment to consider location, proximity to electricity grid lines, home readiness for electricity, home lease status, family demographics, and their interest in having electricity. Using the database the NNSI team, along with the Shonto Chapter Solar Advisory Committee, established the criteria for drawing up a priority list.

Each off-grid domestic system comprises:

1800W solar array,
MultiPlus 24/3000 Inverter/Charger,
3k VE-Panel AC and DC Power Distribution Panel
SmartSolar MPPT (250/60) Solar Charge Controller
4.8kWh of lithium-ion battery storage.

Dr. Williams points out that over the past 150 years the Navajo Nation has been a site of resource extraction (coal, uranium, oil, and fracking operations) but has not received the infrastructure needed to enjoy the benefits of those same power-generating resources.

Shonto Chapter member Lolita Smith with Pricilla Smith and Lisa Derby.

The energy installation strategy adopted by the NNSI team together with the Shonto community includes ensuring that homes identified for solar system installation have electricians available to complete domestic wiring for power distribution.

The solar energy training and was provided by Victron Amabassador Marc Stevens together with his partner Lisa Derby. They took to the road with the Victron Energy High Plains Training Trailer …filled with Off-Grid training labs so that participants could explore the technology and learn how to connect, test and programme the installation.

Marc Stevens leads training at Shonto Chapter with community members

This is only the beginning of the electrification programme. Early next year a team of Victron training engineers will visit the area to train students from the Fort Lewis College Department of Physics and Engineering allowing students themselves to continue delivery of all elements of the installation programme and familiarisation.

The Navajo Nation Solar Initiative team members include:

Dr. Laurie Williams, Professor Fort Lewis College Department of Physics and Engineering who is Director of the Fort Lewis College Village Aid Solar Initiative
Ms. Camille Keith, Engineering undergraduate of Fort Lewis College, student engineering lead and Navajo Nation tribal member from the community of Shonto, Arizona.
Ms. Jessica Rupe, State of Colorado Grant Professional and an FLC alumni.
Ms. Martine Tsosie, Marketing undergraduate of Fort Lewis College, and a Navajo Nation tribal member from the community of Teec Nos Pos, Arizona.
Marc Stevens, Lisa Derby – joint founders of offgridsolutions.us., who provide the off-grid training curriculum development and technical consultantancy.
Shonto community and FLC VAP Solar volunteers complete their first off-grid installation

The Navajo Nation Solar Initiative team partners with Fort Lewis College. The college has a student based non-profit humanitarian organisation whose mission is to offer communities sustainable solutions to engineering problems. As a Native American-Serving, Non-Tribal Institution, the organisation – FLC VAP Solar – was uniquely positioned to expand its mission to address critical energy needs in the Navajo Nation.

Navajo Nation Shonto Chapter member Camille Keith and her mother Gretchen, aunt Pricilla and uncle Lenard Smith – recipients of the first PV system get hands-on experience.

Since 2018 Dr. Laurie Williams, has been partnering with Tribal communities on the design and installation of off-grid solar systems for families without electricity amongst the Navajo Nation. Central to the programme is learning opportunity for students. Students at FLC work on PV system designs, gain job skills, and implement projects during academic breaks – a real world opportunity to use what they’ve learned in the classroom. Everybody gains.

Lisa Begay, Billy Begay, Niall Pastuszek, Dr. Laurie Williams PE, Charlotte Smart, Jessica Rupe, Carl Bickford, Katie Roseberry, Martine Tsosie, Cornelius Lehan.

In the headline image of this story we see, left to right: Paul Kokes (FLC Alumni and Solar Volunteer), Curtis Greyeyes together with his father, Laurie Williams (FLC Professor and FLC VAP Solar Director), Carl Bickford (FLC Staff and Volunteer)