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Project Overview

Young, Arizona is an unincorporated area with thirty miles of dirt road on both sides. This area in Gila County is home to some of the oldest working ranches in the state. This off-grid property was homesteaded in the late 1800s and NewGrid designed and built the upgraded power system that supports a working grass-fed cattle operation and dude ranch lodge with commercial kitchen.

ClientCity of Young, ArizonaDateAugust, 2019Power30kW of SolarBattery240kWh Crown Flooded Lead Acid BatteryInverters21kW of Schneider invertersGenerator50kW propane generatorGrid120/240 split phase gridShare

Project Details

After years of running solely on generator power,  high fuel prices, generator failures, and soaring operation and maintenance costs became too burdensome to handle. The ranch transitioned to a modest off-grid solar system in 2006 with the goal of supporting a load for only ranch workers. Further development at the ranch and its transition from cattle ranch to also being a dude ranch saw a steady increase in consumption over the years.  By 2016, the property’s electrical requirements had vastly outgrown the original power system

In 2016, NewGrid revitalized the electrical room, generators, and switchgear, upgraded the battery bank, and expanded solar capacity. Another round of upgrades in 2020 added new power processing equipment and tripled the solar array size. The new power system supports a load of 200kWh per day without use of a generator, 10X what it was in 2006. The property currently has a lodge with a commercial kitchen that accommodates 12 guests with 4 additional outbuildings each with their own air conditioning unit. NewGrid’s strategic interventions align with the continuous growth at Off-Grid power system sites, focusing on building a foundation for evolving energy requirements while aligning with ownership’s long-term vision for property development, fostering contentment across short, medium, and long-term perspectives. 

See more of our off-grid solar projects with working ranches