Home developer says solar power makes sense for Columbus NM

COLUMBUS – Three new homes on Buena Vista Street were equipped with solar energy modules on Monday, and the homebuilder says that harvesting electricity from the rooftops makes plain sense in this low-income community with no natural gas.

The three homes are the first of a planned “self-help housing” development managed by the Tierra del Sol Housing Corporation in the border village south of Deming, utilizing the labor of the new homeowners who help build one another’s houses before assuming ownership with low-interest mortgages.

Program Manager Mike Rudloff noted that Tierra del Sol has already incorporated solar power into housing in Berino, a community south of Las Cruces, but it made even more sense in Columbus.

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“Here, there’s no natural gas,” said Rudloff. For heating, “you either have propane or all-electric. We went with all-electric, so solar panels make sense. We’re going to help the homeowners and keep their electric bill a little bit down.”

“It’s pretty cool to live in a time when you can actually make your own electricity,” said Positive Energy Solar sales advisor Troy Guglielmina as he supervised a crew of five installers from Las Cruces on Monday.

Part of his job, he said, is rebutting the notion that home solar energy is a luxury good available only to the wealthy.

“One of my personal passions is trying to find ways to get more solar onto the roofs and into the hands of lower-income people,” said Guglielmina.

Each house received four panels, generating an estimated monthly 50 kilowatt-hours apiece. With the efficiency measures built into the homes, Guglielmina guesses that 200 kWh might offset a quarter of a family’s monthly power needs, but usage can vary with family size and household activity.

Tierra del Sol worked with the installer to provide systems affordable under the U.S. Department of Agriculture grant that funds the program.

The panels, manufactured by San Jose-based SunPower Corporation, have 25-year “bumper to bumper” warranties with no out-of-pocket expenses for repair or replacement. They require little maintenance, but Guglielmina said the tempered-glass surfaces can be hosed off occasionally, especially after a dust storm.



Each panel has its own power converter and the system is expandable. Guglielmina said he is working with Tierra del Sol on financing options for low-income families in the region who wish to install or expand home solar systems.

“It’s not like somebody taking on debt for a new car or boat,” said Guglielmina. “As long as somebody’s had a history of paying their electric bill, they’re renting electricity, essentially. If you pay rent, you’ll be paying forever and you’ll be at the whim of your landlord – and whoever your utility monopoly is, is your landlord. Because they are a monopoly, they aren’t always the best landlord.”

Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-546-2611 (ext. 2608) or adammassa@demingheadlight.com.

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