Black Mesa Ranch
Snowflake, Arizona, USA
Artisan Cheese
Nubian Goats
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Updated!
6/07: We have revamped our Ranch Workshop Packages!
In addition to our one and three-day cheese making and goat management workshops learn about our free open- house days and lodging accommodations.
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Award Winning Artisan Goat Cheeses
4 Awards 2005 ADGA National Competition
3 Awards 2004 ADGA National Competition
2 Awards 2005 ADGA National Competition
2 Awards 2004 ADGA National Competition
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Click here to read the online version of Kathryn's booklet
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This site last updated:
March 29, 2008
© 2000-2008 Black Mesa Ranch Inc. All Rights Reserved
Arizona Grown!
June 2004 update: Having determined that the 10 kW Generac LPG back-up generator we'd been using almost since we installed the whole power system was simply too unreliable and temperamental for our dairy needs, we purchased and installed a new Hardy Diesel 15kW unit. After some initial tweaking it is running well and is a welcomed relief from the Generac. Our plan is to explore selling the Generac and if that doesn't pan out we will install it at the shop/machine barn for easy, on-demand power over there.
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Have you ever wanted to run a utility company? No? Me neither, but in order to live out here (or in any other, similar, "extreme rural" location) with any of the modern conveniences most of us have grown accustomed to (like lighting, decent refrigeration and the like) you might just have to start your own Alternative Energy Small Utility.
Alternative energy is generally considered to be any source of power- heat- or light-producing energy used in the normal course of going about life that is not delivered in a neat package via cable or pipe from your local utility provider. It can include wood, geothermal, water, wind, methane, passive solar and PV (photo voltaic) solar among many others.
The term "Alternative Energy" is a bit misleading in our case. For us to live here, there were no alternatives but to go "alternative". To survive with any style here we have to be our own electric power company, and like many others in rural situations be our own water company, and our own sanitation department...
Alternative Electricity
Generating the Power for BMR
Grid power (that lovely stuff that comes in a seemingly endless, subsidized, stream down the wires from, well... wherever) is miles and miles from the Ranch. Don't get me wrong. While there is a certain bold freedom to being un-tethered from The Grid, I'm basically a pragmatic. If The Grid were magically extended to our property line tomorrow I'd likely be signing up for their power the next day. (though I'd certainly keep producing as much power as I was able too and sell it back to them when possible). That, however, is not the case, nor is it likely to be for the foreseeable future. If we want to live in the 21st century (and what fun would it be not to?) we have to generate our own electricity.
PV Solar for Power
When we began looking for our "perfect property" we realized that many of the criteria that would make it perfect for us in so many ways would also make it unlikely to have access to grid power so... years ago we began to learn a little about alternative sources. It quickly became apparent that, in Arizona, photo-voltaic (PV) solar power was an obvious solution.
PV solar (as opposed to passive solar) is the process by which the sun's radiation is converted (by solar panels) into direct current (DC) electrical energy. For our needs it was clear that we would need storage capacity for the energy (a battery bank) and a way to convert the DC current to normal AC household current (an inverter). These three components, the panels, the batteries and the inverter are the basis of our system
Wind Power
Another power opportunity in our locale is the wind. Even after just a few months here we realized that there was a huge potential power source we had left untapped. Wind power has come a long way from the hay days of those picturesque mechanical power windmills which can still be seen dotting the landscape here (we have a non-functional one near the well we keep for esthetic reasons but with hopes of refurbishing it back onto productive service at some point in the future). Many modern wind generators incorporate ultra-quite turbines which directly generate electrical power. We eventually added to our power plant a 900 watt wind turbine installed on a 50' tower and are now thoroughly enjoying the benefits of being able to generate power 24 hours a day.
Back-up Power
There are times, even here in AZ, when the sun doesn't shine, and the wind doesn't blow, or when we have extra heavy power requirements. For these times we needed a back-up generator which we eventually added in to the system. Our propane gas powered generator also is used for the periodic "equalization" of the batteries, a process of over-charging them to balance and refresh their electrolytes. We also use a large (9kW) portable gasoline generator for our well pumping and for various shop and field power requirements (like welding or power tool work out at the barn).
Our System Specifications and Costs
- Panels: 2560 watts of 48 volt DC power provided by 32, 80 watt Kyocera modules - $10,400
- Racks: 4, 8-module manually adjustable racks - $5450
- Inverter: Trace SW4048 115 volt (gang-able to 240 volt) power panel with 4000 watt, 48 volt pure sine inverter, C-40 charge controller and assorted disconnects, beakers and junction boxes, and remote TriMetric battery condition read-out console at the house - $3700
- Batteries: a bank of 40, Trojan T-105, 220 amp-hour 6 volt lead-acid batteries arranged in 5 strings of 8 with Water Miser safety vent caps all around - $3600
- Wind Generator: 900 watt Whisper H40 - $1330
- Tower: 50' tri-pole tower with guy wires - $1025
- Back-up Generator: A 10,000 watt LP gas powered, air-cooled Generac Guardian with complete remote auto start functions - $3500
The Price Tag
The total cost of this system (so far), including misc. little this-and-thats and installation is right about at $30,000. Kind-of makes those $100 monthly electric bills we used to complain about not seem so bad after all!