Solar initiatives could help Northern N.M. economy: Bill would fund research activities as Espa?ola college plans to go off the grid

Jan. 26--Espanola is probably not the first New Mexico city to come to mind when you think of high-tech industry and innovation. The reality is the city and surrounding communities -- one of the state's poorest areas -- might be one of the last on that list.

But if a bill moving through the House succeeds, Espanola Valley could be home to a new $9 million research park and academic academy that puts it square in the middle of the growing solar-technology sector.

And students at Northern New Mexico College could find themselves trying to address some of the most-advanced problems in solar science, said Andres C. Salazar, chairman of the college's computer engineering technology department.

"This is really a three-part effort to work with the community, encourage business and to start producing a work force for solar energy and solar storage, which is a big issue in the science right now," Salazar said.

Of the $9 million in the bill, House Bill 146, sponsored by Speaker Ben Lujan, $6 million would pay to expand the college's clean room and to buy land and construct a business research park with laboratories and meeting rooms. The other $3 million would go toward hiring faculty and building research programs, Salazar said.

The bill will be considered by the House Education and Appropriation committees. Lujan, D-Nambe, could not be reached for comment on its legislative outlook.

If the measure is approved, businesses in the research park would focus on solar technology and innovation but also would work with the college to create a place where New Mexico residents can learn how to refit their homes with solar power, Salazar said. "There's a lack of information for homeowners and small businesses that want to learn about these technologies," he said.

The college also would create associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs to fill work-force needs in the solar sector, Salazar said.

The associate degree program would train technicians to fit houses with solar panels. The bachelor's program would focus on scientific aspects -- such as finding the best ways to store solar energy so it can be used when the sun isn't shining, which has been a problem for solar energy researchers. And the master's program would focus on both training technologists and preparing them to form new solar energy businesses, Salazar said.

"Creating that sort of a work force would be critical, and it could draw a lot of businesses to the area," he said. "We've already gotten some companies writing to us and talking to us, saying they're ready to commit."

The effort also would dovetail with another coming innovation at the college. It plans to go off the power grid soon and convert its operations solely to solar energy, said Tom Alvarez, a spokesman. "There's no better place to teach solar research and education than in a campus that's totally run on solar power," he said.

Alvarez said the conversion will happen whether or not Lujan's bill passes. "It's something we're very serious about here," he said.

The college also hopes to work with Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories to develop the park and academic programs, Salazar said, adding he'd like to call the park the Richard Feinman Solar Energy Research Park Academy, after the renowned Los Alamos physicist.

Public affairs spokespeople at both labs said, when contacted by The New Mexican, that they weren't aware of the initiative.

Still, the effort has some support from the Santa Fe business community. Matthew Ellis, co-founder of the Santa Fe Green Business Network, said he thinks the research park could be a boon for Northern New Mexico.

"I think this is especially important because of layoffs at the labs and the uncertainty about what the future of our national laboratories might be," Ellis said. "This is a huge economic development response to Espanola Valley and the region losing a chuck of its science and technology work force."

And while some larger solar companies like Advent Solar and Emcore have formed steady bases in Albuquerque, this project would address different needs and complement those efforts, Ellis said.

"If we think regionally and statewide, this is really about New Mexico," he said. "It's very important that we retain the critical science and technology brainpower we have here. New Mexico not only has ample amounts of sun but also the bright minds and talent to get this done here."

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