THE CITY OF LAS CRUCES (CITY) IS SEEKING FUNDING TO CONSTRUCT TWO SOLAR PARKING STRUCTURES THAT WILL GENERATE 185,000 KWH (KILOWATT HOURS), LOCATED AT MESILLA VALLEY COMMUNITY OF HOPE CAMPUS (MVCOH), THAT WILL PROVIDE SOLAR POWER FOR THE AGENCY TO OFFSET ENERGY COSTS. THE PROJECT WILL ENCOMPASS TWO AGENCIES PROVIDING SERVICES TO HOMELESS AND NEAR HOMELESS POPULATIONS IN THE SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO REGION. THOSE TWO AGENCIES ARE MESILLA VALLEY COMMUNITY OF HOPE/ADOBE INC. (MVCOH) AND CASA DE PEREGRINOS, THE FOOD PANTRY.
MVCOH OPERATES SEVERAL WASHING AND DRYING MACHINES AND SHOWERS DAILY FOR UNHOUSED PEOPLE. THE EXPENSES FALL HEAVILY ONTO MVCOH WHO MUST FIND GENERAL GRANT FUNDING TO AFFORD TO PAY THE UTILITIES. MVCOH WOULD LIKE TO LOWER THE UTILITY BILLS BY EXPANDING ITS SOLAR CAPACITY. THE CITY AND MVCOH COMPLETED A SOLAR CARPORT PROJECT IN FY21, FUNDED BY THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO, WHICH PROVIDED 117,126KW HOURS ANNUALLY OF ELECTRICITY, RESULTING IN A MONTHLY COST SAVINGS OF APPROXIMATELY $69.00 OR $828.00 ANNUALLY. THIS PROJECT CONSISTED OF THE INSTALLATION OF 144 SOLAR PANELS. DEPENDING ON THE CURRENT COST PER PANEL, THE CITY ANTICIPATES INSTALLING AN ADDITIONAL 250 PANELS BETWEEN THE TWO CARPORTS TO BE CONSTRUCTED.
THE ADDITIONAL PANELS WILL GENERATE AN ADDITIONAL 185,000KW HOURS OF ELECTRICITY ANNUALLY, AND POTENTIALLY SAVE THE ORGANIZATIONS AN ADDITIONAL $119.00/MONTH OR $1,428.00 ANNUALLY. THE TOTAL OVERALL SAVINGS ANNUALLY FROM ALL THE INSTALLED PANELS WOULD BE UP TO $2,256.00. THESE PANELS WILL ALSO PROLONG THE LIFE AND COMFORT OF THE AGENCY’S VEHICLE FLEET USED FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND TRANSPORT FOOD BOXES TO AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR DISTRIBUTION.
CASA DE PEREGRINOS AND THE CITY WILL PROVIDE THE MATCH OF $200,000 THROUGH THE CITY’S HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (HUD CDBG) PROGRAM.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT WILL BE TO:
1. PROVIDE SOLAR PANELS TO REDUCE UTILITY STRAIN TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AT THE MVCOH CAMPUS.
2. PROVIDE SOLAR PANEL CARPORT TO PROVIDES SHADE ON THE MVCOH CAMPUS.$200,000
· FY2023 · Department of Energy