I wrote a blog post a while ago talking about how much Los Lunas has changed since I grew up there [you can check out that post here]. Each day since my childhood, I’ve seen Los Lunas grow, expand, and demonstrate a unique leadership in becoming a hub of technology and innovative infrastructure.
Back in June, the Village of Los Lunas set up a Poly-gen Vertical Solar System. This system is a tower that stacks panels vertically around a pole, includes a small wind turbine at the top to produce back up energy when the sun isn’t shining, and back-up battery storage to supply electricity 24/7. This is the first of its kind, and Los Lunas is the first municipality in the country to install it! What does this individual system mean for the future of solar and small towns?
Weltech LLC wants to expand into New Mexico and is looking to Los Lunas to build a manufacturing plant. This would make it the first renewable energy manufacturing plant in the state and make Los Lunas a hub for manufacturing labor jobs.
An article from the Valencia County News Bulletin mentioned they can be used for solar farms, which could take our solar revolution into the future. Compared to traditional solar panels (1 MW for 4 acres), their solar system generates two megawatts of electricity in a one-acre. This would enable us to power around 400 homes.
Solar systems like a vertical system not only disprove the myth that “solar energy is unreliable” or “not as strong as traditional energy” but also prove that this can be implemented in rural and city areas with 24/7 power. I’m proud of my home village for their leadership in bringing in these exciting new technologies and attracting future industries with the potential to power the rest of our communities!