Arizona Renewable Energy Resources

Existing Generation Mix Arizona is often called the “solar capital” of the Renewable Energy 1 US. Despite the state’s tremendous solar and other Installed Renewable Capacity renewable resources, Arizona lags behind the Resource Installed 6% Gas Type Capacity rest of the region with only 9 MW of installed 46% Coal Wind .04 MW renewable energy facilities. However, thanks to Solar (PV) 4 MW 36% Nuclear the passage of a renewable portfolio standard Solar (Thermal) .08 MW 12% Hydro designed to boost the development of renew- Geothermal 0 MW ables, especially solar, across the state, a number Data source: Energy Information Administration 1999 Biomass 5.3 MW of new large-scale solar projects are now under Total 9.4 MW construction. The RPS requires utilities to obtain

1 nearly 1% of their power from renewables, half Source: REPIS database, plus known installations Renewable Energy Policies of which must be from solar.

SBC System Beneﬁts Charge Arizona Public Service (APS) and NativeSUN – Solar Power on Indian Lands Tucson Electric Power (TEP) each have an SBC used to partially meet requirements under the RPS and fund other public interest programs. In 1985, the Hopi Foundation began RPS Renewable Portfolio Standard a new solar electric enterprise called 0.2% at start (2001), 1.1% by 2007. Solar to meet 50% initially, 60% by NativeSUN. This project was one of 2004. several designed to help the Hopi NM Net Metering become a self-sufﬁcient community. Maximum capacity set by utilities: TEP – 100 kW, APS – 10 kW. APS’ program According to Doran Dalton, the chair is “net billing,” requiring the use of of the Hopi Foundation, NativeSUN’s dual meters. mission is not only to provide needed GP Green Power Programs Photovoltaic System on the Hopi electrical services and bring training and economic develop- Reservation ment opportunities to Native Americans in the Southwest, $T Personal/Corporate Tax Incentives Photo: NativeSUN but also to accomplish this with technologies and approaches Sales Tax Exemption $S that are consistent with tribal cultural, traditional and $ Rebate, Grant or Loan Program religious norms. By installing photovoltaic panels on homes and businesses

Data source: Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy where thousands of Hopi live without electricity, NativeSUN (www.dsireusa.org) became an overwhelming success. The cost of a NativeSUN PV system ($5,000–$15,000) is far less than the cost to extend the electric grid to serve a home in these communities Annual Electricity (nearly $40,000 per mile). Consumption (1999) NativeSUN also brings much needed jobs and capital investment to the reservation – to date more than 450 58 million MWh systems have been installed. NativeSUN sells its solar electric renewable credits to Arizona Public Service Company to help the utility meet its goals under the state’s RPS.

26 www.EnergyAtlas.org ARIZONA

Solar In addition to the thousands of small-scale solar bring electricity to areas of the state out of reach photovoltaic (PV) installations found across of the grid. Grid-connected PV has the added Arizona, a number of larger scale solar projects value of reducing peak summer time electric loads. have been developed or are in the planning stages. Solar PV provides an economical way to Electricity Generation Potential: 101 million MWh/yr.

Page Kayenta Solar Insolation Annual Average

Chinle kWh/m2/day 3.5–4.0 Window Rock 4.1–4.5 4.6–5.0 5.1–5.5 Flagstaff Kingman 5.6–6.0 Winslow 6.1–6.5 Holbrook Sedona 6.6–7.0

Prescott Saint Lake Havasu Johns County City Show Interstate Low Payson Parker Data source: National Renewable Energy Alpine Arizona Public Service Company’s Laboratory 2002 Solar Dish Glendale Scottsdale 0 25 50 miles Phoenix Mesa Globe Arizona Public Service (APS) is evaluating Clifton the performance of the latest in Dish Casa Florence Grande Stirling Solar power systems at its STAR Yuma Eloy Safford Research Center in Tempe. This new technology, capable of producing 25kW Tucson of electricity, uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto a thermal receiver. This highly efﬁ- cient solar system also can use alternative Sierra Vista Bisbee fuels instead of the sun’s heat, so power Nogales Douglas can be made any time, day or night.

Photo: Bill Timmerman

Hourly PV Performance at APS Flagstaff Site Output from a 79 kW PV System in Flagstaff

100 This chart demonstrates the variations in power produced by a 80 PV system in northern Arizona. The amount of power is clearly

60 affected by time of year and day. It is important to note the system produces its maximum output consistently throughout the 40 day, especially during peak afternoon hours in the summer 20 months when demands on the electric system are greatest. AC Power Output in kW

0 Source: Solar Electric Power Association’s TEAM-UP Photovoltaic Data Summary and Analysis for 024681012141618202224 Arizona Public Service Hour of the Day

22-Jun-99 22-Dec-99

www.EnergyAtlas.org 27 ARIZONA

Wind This map shows 1987 wind data, the most recent scale wind generation to supplement their electric- available for Arizona. While modern resource ity needs. Less than 1 MW of wind power is modeling techniques will give more detail, this currently online in Arizona, but there are over map shows promising areas for large-scale wind 75,000 acres of windy land. development along the eastern border. Rural Arizonans have also been able to rely on small- Electricity Generation Potential: 5 million MWh/yr.

Page Kayenta Wind Power at 50 Meters

Chinle Wind Power Density Class W/m2

Window Rock 1 Poor 0–200 2 Marginal 200–300 3 Fair 300–400 Flagstaff Kingman 4 Good 400–500 Winslow 5 Excellent 500–600 Holbrook Sedona 6 Outstanding 600–800

Prescott Saint 7 Superb > 800 Lake Havasu Johns City Show County Low Payson Interstate Parker Alpine Data source: Paciﬁc Northwest Laboratory 1987 Classiﬁcation applies only to areas well-exposed to the wind (ridgetops and open plains). Glendale Scottsdale

Phoenix Mesa Globe 0 25 50 Clifton miles

Casa Florence Grande Yuma Eloy Safford

Tucson

Sierra Vista Bisbee Nogales Douglas

Small wind turbine

Small wind turbines like this Air 403, manufactured by Southwest Windpower, can be used for applications such as charging batteries on recreational vehicles and supplementing the electricity supply for a home, thereby lowering utility bills.

Photo: Southwest Windpower

28 www.EnergyAtlas.org ARIZONA

Geothermal Arizona’s geothermal resources, Page Kayenta Geothermal Potential found almost exclusively in the southern half of the state, are Chinle High a potential source of electricity

Window and direct heating and cooling. Rock There are currently no geo-

Kingman Flagstaff

Winslow thermal installations producing Holbrook Medium Sedona electricity in the state.

Prescott Saint Lake Havasu Johns City Show Low Payson Electricity Generation Potential: Parker Alpine 5 million MWh/yr.

Low Glendale Scottsdale

Phoenix Mesa Globe

County Clifton

Interstate Casa Florence Grande Geothermal well Yuma Eloy Safford with greater than 150 (mW/m2) Tucson Data source: Western United States Geothermal Database, Southern Methodist University Geothermal Sierra Lab 2001 Vista Bisbee Nogales Douglas

0 25 50 miles

Biomass As an arid state, Arizona does Page Kayenta not produce a high volume Total Energy Potential from Biomass Residue of agricultural crops or forest Chinle residues. However, producing Total Potential (mmbtu) Window electricity from landﬁll gas or Rock 50–775,000 animal wastes currently provides

775,001–2,500,000 Kingman Flagstaff about 5 MW of electricity. 2,500,001–5,500,000 Winslow Holbrook 5,500,001–11,200,000 Sedona

Prescott Saint Lake Havasu Johns Electricity Generation Potential: No Data City Show Low Payson 1 million MWh/yr. Interstate Parker Alpine Data source: US Department of Agriculture, 1996, 2002; Environ- Glendale mental Protection Agency 2001 Scottsdale Phoenix Mesa Globe

Clifton 0 25 50 miles Casa Florence Grande Yuma Eloy Safford

Tucson

Sierra Vista Bisbee Nogales Douglas