Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians – 2021 Project

Background

The DCR Band of Pomo Indians is a Northern California Indian Tribe whose Pomo and Wappo ancestors occupied the Russian River Valley and Dry Creek Valley continuously and sustainably for more than 5,000 years. The Tribe's Housing Department works to protect tribal resources, provide services and support to the membership, and build a brighter future for all generations.

In 2019, the Tribe purchased 45 acres of land at the southern end of Cloverdale, about 10 miles north of the Rancheria trust land. The project site is located on 26 acres of fee simple land, where the Tribe will construct the Bi'du Khaale Housing Development. The other 19 acres comprise a commercial/light industrial parcel. As the Tribe moves forward with the development of its land, there will be opportunities to implement renewable energy strategies. The experience of designing and installing PV systems in the Bi'du Khaale Housing Development will be a significant step toward this broader and longer-term goal.

Project Objectives

Dry Creek Rancheria Housing Department will install PV systems on an estimated 25 single-family homes and a community center in the town of Cloverdale. The new housing units are planned to be energy efficient and solar-ready, as well as designed to meet the needs of the Tribe's elder population. As sustainability and resilience are key values, the Tribe aims to reduce pollution from energy consumption by generating solar energy on-site. This project will also result in direct savings for the tenants, who will have significantly reduced energy bills.

This new development and the planned future microgrid to power other tribal facilities are designed to provide additional climate resilience and the ability to shelter in place during wildfire and other storm events. Investing in energy strategies that lower emissions can be an effective way for DCR to achieve multiple goals: improving air quality and public health, strengthening their energy resilience, reducing air pollution, and saving money.

The total installed capacity will be approximately 150.2 kW, for an estimated annual production of 24.9 megawatt hours (MWh) and lifetime production of 605 MWh from the Center, and an estimated 205.9 MWh annually and lifetime production of 5,595 MWh from the homes. This is projected to save the Tribe roughly $187,050 annually and provide $1,245,400 in tenant savings over the lifetime of the systems (25 years).

The Tribe will also recruit members of the community to train in solar installations. A major goal of the Tribe is developing the internal capacity to maintain existing systems and continue to install solar.

Project Scope

The primary scope of this project is the installation of 150.2 kW of solar PV systems on 25 homes and a community center. Each home will get an estimated 5.4-kW direct current (DC) PV system for a total of roughly 135 kW, and the center will have an estimated 15.2-kW DC system. The solar panel system needs to be large enough to meet the annual electricity usage of the building; given that electricity usage can be difficult to determine in new construction projects, the selected vendor will use an estimate for each property based on the building's floor space and the climate zone in which it’s located.

The Tribe will also recruit members of the community to train in solar installations. Around four to six trainees will participate in the Installers Basic Training. DCR will work to recruit trainees from within the tribal government, such as the Tribe's facilities management department, and from within the community. Workforce development training will be provided by an online classroom module and hands-on installation. The training will include Occupational Safety and Health Administration, construction safety, and solar PV basics. The systems will be installed according to the National Electric Code, as well as local jurisdiction building codes and industry standards. The vendor will ensure the system's proper functioning, including, but not limited to, one year of active monthly production monitoring post-installation.

The DCR project team will work with the selected vendor to create an installation contract and develop a comprehensive installation plan, including, but not limited to, design submittals, equipment procurement, and training schedule and content, as well construction approach and deadlines. This plan will be implemented via regularly scheduled meetings and email follow-up with documented deliverables. The project schedule will be heavily dependent on the new development's construction schedule, which is currently slated to be completed in the third quarter of 2022. Construction of the homes and community center is outside the scope of this U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-supported project.

Project Location

Established in 1915, Dry Creek Rancheria comprises of 75 steep and rugged acres in the picturesque Alexander Valley outside of Geyserville, CA, about 10 miles from the project site. DCR has more than 600 acres under management, in addition to its Rancheria. In 2019, the Tribe purchased 45 acres of land at the southern end of Cloverdale, about 10 miles north of the Rancheria trust land. The project site is located on 26 acres of fee simple land, where the Tribe will construct the Bi'du Khaale Housing Development.