City Of Gallup, N.M., Welcomes 9.8 MW Solar Array

Standard Solar Inc. recently celebrated the completion of a 9.8 MW solar project for the City of Gallup, N.M.

Standard Solar provided financing for the 28,896-panel, single-axis-tracker array. The solar farm is expected to generate more than 20 million kWh of power annually, providing nearly 10{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} of the city’s energy use and saving the city $785,000 during the project’s first eight years of operation.

The project, constructed on approximately 31 acres of city-owned land south of Interstate Highway 40, will generate enough electricity to power 2,500 homes and offset the production of 3.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually, according to Standard Solar.

“We’re excited that our unique ability to finance this project played a role in bringing it to its completion,” says Scott Wiater, president and CEO of Standard Solar. “City officials at all levels were committed to making this project a success, and it was an honor for us to be involved.”

Standard Solar financed the project and will own and operate the array. Mangan Renewables, a division of Mangan Inc., developed the project in partnership with Wiser Capital and its proprietary underwriting platform.

On July 17, Wiater, along with H.D. Boesch, chief technology officer of Mangan Renewables; Gallup’s mayor, Jackie McKinney; the city’s electric director, Richard Matzke; and the city’s manager, Maryann Ustick, participated in a ribbon-cutting event for the project.

“This array will have a huge impact on the City of Gallup and its future,” said Matzke. “When the opportunity to protect our environment and save our citizens money presented itself, we were thrilled to take advantage. We appreciate everyone involved in the project for helping us bring it to fruition.”

Standard Solar notes that the project provided 58 local jobs during the construction phase and two ongoing positions.