The General Nathan Twining Observatory - History - Photovoltaic Power Installation Press Release Siderial Times Story

History - Photovoltaic Power Installation Siderial Times Story

TAAS Awarded $14,000 PNM Enchanted Energy Grant
by Michael Pendley

What a way to end the year. On October 6, 1998, after two rounds of proposal writing and several months of waiting, I found out that TAAS had been awarded a grant from the PNM Enchanted Energy Trust to install a solar power energy system at GNTO. This grant, valued at approximately $14,000, represents a major step forward in the development of GNTO.

left to right—PNM Enchanted Energy Trust director Toni Ristau, Energía Total President Ron Orozco, Energía Total staff member Cary Lane, and TAAS President Mike Pendley

The whole process started this spring with a general call by PNM for proposals for alternative energy (i.e. green) demonstration projects. TAAS prepared a proposal to install solar power at GNTO. In June, I was informed that TAAS had made the first cut and had been partnered with Energía Total—an alternative energy company on the west side.

Representatives from Energía Total and I attended a second round pre-proposal meeting in July then later jointly developed our final proposal. This proposal calls for a 450 watt PV array connected to a 20,000 watt-hour battery bank that in turn connects to a 2,500 watt true sine wave inverter.

TAAS, PNM, and Energía Total still have a few administrative details to work out but we all hope to complete installation by the end of the calendar year of 1998.

Albuquerque Journal staff writer Tom McGhee ran a story on the grants on October 26. The two other 1998 grant winners were the City of Albuquerque to install solar power at the city bus washing facility and Greater World Community (near Taos) to install solar and wind electrical generating equipment to service a community center.