San Xavier District of Tohono O'odham Nation – 2020 Project

Background

Established in 1937, the San Xavier District is one of the 11 districts that comprise the Tohono O'odham Nation. Containing nearly 72,000 acres of Sonoran Desert, the District accounts for 7% of the Tohono O’odham Nation’s population, with a total enrollment of roughly 2,300 individuals, of which only approximately 1,200 reside within the District’s jurisdiction. 

The mission if the San Xavier District is: "…to promote self-determination and provide a legacy for future generations by guiding, leading, and supporting community in the protection and preservation of the land, water, air, culture, traditions, knowledge, language, and viability of community."
The District has committed to the deployment of renewable energy infrastructure for the last decade. In 2013, the first solar PV system (60 kW) was installed to reduce utility costs and dependence on commercial power. In 2019, another solar PV system (100 kW) was constructed for the District's Senior Services Center and the Maintenance Building. Both projects have significantly contributed to the District's overall energy goals. The success of past projects has demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of the technologies, which will be used in this project.

Project Objectives

This project will increase self-reliance and community resilience for the Tohono O'odham Nation communities through the enhancement of tribal energy and economic infrastructure. The project objective is to install 255 kW of solar PV to power the Administration Building and the Education Center. The project aims to make use of solar PV systems to power tribal community buildings in the San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Nation. Benefits from this project include: 1) reduce energy purchased from the commercial utility provider, thus reducing overall operational costs to the District; 2) offset carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and environmental footprint, 3) increase community resilience through community outreach and education focused on the importance of renewable energy and methods by which these technologies may be implemented by homeowners in this tribal community.

Installing the proposed solar PV systems will allow the District to utilize a resource abundantly available in the Desert Southwest. Southern Arizona enjoys more than 300 days of sun per year. Over the 25-year life of the project, the District anticipates saving $2,571,500 and reducing its carbon footprint by 9,052 tons of CO2 equivalent. Savings generated through reduced energy costs can be allocated to other meaningful programs that may focus on other pressing community needs.

Project Scope

This project will construct grid-tied solar PV systems at the Administration Building (182 kW) and Education Center (73.5 kW). Once the PV systems are complete, the District will host a minimum of two open-house events in the tribal community promoting renewable energy and demonstrating the solar technologies.

The District will hire two contractors—a consultant and a solar PV contractor. The consultant will help the District with project management, environmental permitting, material inspection, and design and submittal reviews. The solar PV contractor will complete engineering, procurement, and construction services for the project, providing "turnkey" PV systems at the Administration Building and Education Center.

Project Location

The Tohono O'odham Nation is located along the U.S.-Mexico border in southern Arizona. The San Xavier District, one of the 11 political subdivisions of the Tohono O'odham Nation, is located in Pima County, Arizona.