Solar

Russell attended the State of the City Address for Oro Valley as a board member for the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Solar Path was there with a Solar display, and they explained the opportunity to take advantage of the utility sponsored, government funded solar program. After much internal discussion the Ranch decided that in these times of economic uncertainty not to go ahead and join the program.

Subsequently the program became fully subscribed and the opportunity was gone. However, because of the severity and length of the economic decline, several companies dropped out and Solar Path came to us again and we decided to opt in creating, on the Ranch, the largest private solar farm in the Tucson area.

On January the 3rd (2011) construction began and on Tuesday the 22nd of March the first solar panels began to operate.

We have three separate sites where the electricity comes from solar panels into the meters for the ranch; the well, staff area and our main lodge buildings plus west side rooms.

This is the largest amount of solar power that we are allowed to install and use based on the program that we entered.

When last checked, one of the meters (the one for the main lodge) had delivered 5,360 KWH, bought 104 KWH and sold back 7 KWH. The system is designed to power 35% to 40% of the electricity for the ranch, a very exciting prospect indeed.

Solar

Local Ranches Going Solar