Over the past few years The Community has fulfilled all the requirements to gain water rights at Red Rock Consecrated Sanctuary—all part of a larger plan to create self-sustainability. But to keep these rights we have to pump water to show usage. The electricity needed to run the pumps costs quite a lot, so the next step is to figure out how to reduce those costs. We believe we have found the solution—if we act now.
In 2010 the federal government allocated $250 million to the state of Nevada to provide incentives for Nevadans to create “green” energy systems and thus substantially lower fossil fuel consumption by the year 2025. As part of that effort, Nevada Energy created an incentive program for businesses and homeowners to install solar energy systems that connect to Nevada Energy’s power grid. Such systems are known as grid-tie systems because they tie in to the commercial power grid. For example, if your home system puts 1 kilowatt (kw) of energy into the grid during the day, you get that back at night, for free (since it’s your energy). If you put more into the grid than you use, you get credit for future electricity use, so it can accumulate like interest. That’s basically how the program works.
Black Rock Solar is the company that installed the grid-tie system at Steamboat Hot Springs, and it has been working very well. Normally Black Rock doesn’t work on smaller systems like the one we have in mind for our pumps at Red Rock, but because we have worked with them on the Steamboat project, they are willing to help us out with the Red Rock project. They will act more as consultants and will take care of procuring all the necessary permits while we will do the construction, which will also save us a lot of money.
We had Black Rock design a system to meet our pumping needs. The total cost, minus the incentive from Nevada Energy, is $8,000. That includes everything that is needed to get the system running and breaks down to a little over $1.00 a watt. Other contractors we’ve approached would charge more than twice that, so we are getting a great deal with Black Rock.
So, what this system will do for us is as follows: During the four months of winter when the pumps are off, the solar panels will be building up electrical credits to the point that in the spring we can run the pumps for free for three months. While the pumps are running on credits, the panels will continue to contribute energy to the grid, for which we will receive more credit. This credit will allow us to run the pumps for another three months, and it will keep accumulating like that and paying for itself. It is the perfect solution to our problem.
We need your help to raise the $8,000 for this project. The Nevada Energy incentive is running out of money so we need to take action on this as soon as possible. It is the last step we need to take toward realizing our vision of producing our own food, growing herb gardens, building residences and other structures, and generally making The Community self-sustaining. We are preparing for the future by laying the foundation for future generations to continue with “The Great Work” with which God has tasked us and for which we and future generations will become an ever greater blessing to the world. As always, thank you for your dedication and support.
Sincerely yours,
Reverend Ted Staver
Canon
