A small village in New Mexico is using the sun in a new light. Corrales is using the power of the sun to help fight fires.
More than US$1.3 million in federal funds will pay for the construction and installation of a new backup solar powered pumping system that provides backup electrical power for pumping water from storage tanks.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with various dignitaries and government officials, made the announcement on Friday during a signing and presentation ceremony at Corrales Village Hall.
The new solar electric units will provide backup in case of a catastrophic power failure. According to a press release, the system not only provides electrical backup power to pump water to fire trucks, the new system also ensures the backup of “critical government administration, police and fire communications.”
With a population of more than 7,000 residents, Corrales is a small village located between Albuquerque and Rio Rancho and bordered by the Rio Grande and Sandia India Reservation.
Corrales currently does not have fire hydrants or piped water to suppress fires in the village. In case of a fire, firefighters use tanker trucks, which are filled up at municipal water tanks that rely on electricity from the Public Service Co. of New Mexico.
USDA’s Terry Brunner said, "We talked about the fact, should a catastrophic event happen here, where the power is cut off, there's no real way to fight a fire." In the case of a power failure, the new solar system will provide electrical power backup for police, government and fire communications. According to the release, five water tanks and the Corrales emergency center will be outfitted with the grid tied solar photovoltaic system.
Image credit: catherinetodd2 via Flickr
For more information on solar energy, visit eBoom's Solar Energy Learning page.
Jace Shoemaker-Galloway is a freelance writer from Illinois. While much of her writing focuses on technology, parenting and online safety issues, she has a strong interest in environmental and renewable energy-related issues as well.
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