The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa  will install solar photovoltaic (PV) at three essential tribal buildings, including a 200-kilowatt (kW) ground-mount system near the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP), a 300-kW ground-mount system at the Health & Wellness Center, and a 20-kW roof-mounted systems on the Chief Blackbird Administration Building (Administration Building).

The two larger installations will be equipped with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and "smart" controls, capable of operating independent of the grid. The systems are expected to offset approximately 100% of the electric usage at the WWTP & Health Clinic annually, and 5.5% at the Administration Building—reducing electric bills by $841,000 over 25 years.

The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians is a federally recognized Indian Tribe, organized under a constitution and bylaws ratified by the Band on May 23, 1936, and approved by the Secretary of the Interior on June 20, 1936. The Tribe is located in the north central Wisconsin on the southern shores of Lake Superior. The Reservation totals 124,655 acres, of which 57,884 acres are tribally owned in trust, 34,051 acres are considered fee land, 26,813 are “other” fee land, and 2,970 are considered municipal. The Tribe has 7,923 enrolled tribal members, and the Reservation is home to approximately 2,614 people.

The Tribe’s mission is to work toward a more progressive, financially stable government, maintain tribal sovereignty, and enable members to progress individually toward a more fulfilling life culturally, spiritually, and economically. Through this mission, the Tribe has explored numerous avenues to assure resiliency and sovereignty into the next seven generations.

The strategic energy plan commissioned in 2012 and updated in 2017 identified the long-term vision, goals, and objectives of the Tribe. The Tribe’s continued commitment is reflected in many studies and plans that have been implemented over the last few years.

In July 2016, the Tribe experienced a 500-year flood and in response adopted an Emergency Response Plan, along with a Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan. The Tribe’s goal is to mitigate and prepare for the consequences of hazards and effectively respond and recover in the event of an emergency or disaster. The Tribe identified the Health & Wellness Center and the WWTP as the most important tribal facilities and decided to locate the Tribal Emergency Operation Center (EOC) at the Administration Building. Further, the Tribe has included energy as a major component of operations under the EOC. 

The Energy Plan is focused on energy conservation and renewable energy strategies. The objectives of this Energy Plan include energy independence, environmental protection, reduced energy costs, and job creation. The Tribe’s project objectives are to provide power in the event of grid failure to three of its essential buildings, to gain more control over its energy options, to reduce its high electric bills, and to create renewable energy jobs and skills.

The Tribe plans to implement its first phase of energy independence through the installation of 520 kW of solar PV at three essential tribal buildings. The solar PV systems will be integrated with the existing utility grid but will be able to operate independent of the grid using the BESS. Because of the utility’s maximum net metering policy of 20 kW, the two larger installations will be designed for “behind-the-meter” electric use and store electricity for use when site demand exceeds the solar generation. The BESS also creates resiliency, providing power when the grid is down.

The solar PV systems will generate approximately 625,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually and offset 100% of the annual electric use of the WWTP and Health Clinic and 5.5% of the Administration Building. The solar PV systems will reduce the Tribe’s electric bills by $841,000 in the first 25 years and eliminate 487 tons of CO₂ emissions. This pilot project represents the Tribe’s continued progress down the economic and environmental path to a 100% clean and resilient energy future while further developing the Tribe’s expertise needed to realize that future.

The Tribe will install solar PV at three essential tribal buildings, including a 200-kW ground-mount system near the WWTP, a 300-kW ground-mount system at the health clinic, and a 20-kW roof-mounted system on the Administration Building. The two larger installations will be equipped with BESS and “smart” controls, capable of operating independent of the grid. The system is designed to retain most of the solar generation behind the meter because of the economics of utility interconnection rules. The smaller installation is a unique ready-to-install (RTI) system designed to teach solar PV installation skills while also reducing installation costs by allowing tribal members to do much of the work. It will also have battery storage system but provides a different function; that is, to provide emergency power during a power outage to assist in essential tribal functions.

The systems will generate approximately 625,000 kWh of electricity annually and will offset approximately 100% of the electric use at the WWTP and health clinic on an annual basis, and 5.5% at the Administration Building. The solar PV systems will offset the equivalent of 487 tons of CO₂ emissions and eliminate the equivalent of 483,000 pounds of coal from being burned each year.

The solar systems and BESS will lay the groundwork for creating tribal energy independence through distributed generation and independent operation. Once demonstrated, economically and functionally, it can be replicated throughout the community.

The RTI system offers the Tribe a much-needed opportunity to create sustainable renewable energy jobs. Reduction in tribal utility bills will free up funds for other development purposes or future renewable energy projects. Reducing emissions from fossil fuel powered electric generating facilities will improve air quality and help stabilize climate change.

The solar PV installations will reduce the electric bills by $841,000 in the first 25 years and train up to 10 tribal members during the installation process. The environment will benefit from reduced greenhouse gases and less coal extraction. Through the “solar experience,” the Tribe will be able to replicate the process to other buildings and ultimately achieve its long-term goal of energy independence.

The Bad River Reservation is in north central Wisconsin on the southern shores of Lake Superior. The Reservation totals 124,655 acres, of which 57,884 acres are tribally owned in trust; 34,051 acres are considered fee land, 26,813 are “other” fee land, and 2,970 are considered municipal.

The solar PV systems will be installed at three essential tribal buildings, including 200 kW at the WWTP, 300 kW at the health clinic, and 20 kW at the Administration Building. The WWTP was built in 1995, and, with the addition in 2002, is around 10,195 sq. ft. The health clinic , built in 2011, is 26,000 sq. ft. The Administration Building, built in 1996, is 21,000 sq. ft. All three buildings are on tribal land held in trust by the United States.

The project is complete. For details, see the final report and project status reports.

The project was competitively selected under the Office of Indian Energy’s Fiscal Year 2019 funding opportunity announcement “Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands - 2019” (DE-FOA-0002032) and started in October 2019.