Socioeconomic impact of photovoltaic power at Schuchulik, Arizona. Final report
Schuchuli, a small remote village on the Papago Indian Reservation in southwest Arizona, is 27 kilometers (17 miles) from the nearest available utility power. In some respects, Schuchuli resembles many of the rural villages in other parts of the world. For example, it's relatively small in size (about 60 residents), composed of a number of extended family groupings, and remotely situated relative to major population centers (190 km, or 120 miles, from Tucson). Its lack of conventional power is due to the prohibitive cost of supplying a small electrical load with a long-distance distribution line. Furthermore, alternate energy sources are expensive and place a burden on the resources of the villagers. On December 16, 1978, as part of a federally funded project, a solar cell power system was put into operation at Schuchuli. The system powers the village water pump, lighting for homes ad other village buildings, family refrigerators and a communal washing machine and sewing machine. The project, managed for the US Department of Energy by the NASA Lewis Research Center, provided for a one-year socio-economic study to assess the impact of a relatively small amount of electricity on the basic living environment of the villagers. The results of that study are presented, including village history, group life, energy use in general and the use of the photovoltaic-powered appliances. No significant impacts due to the photovoltaic power system were observed.
- Research Organization:
- Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AI01-76ET20485
- OSTI ID:
- 5252025
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/NASA/0050-1; NASA-CR-165551; ON: DE82008618
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Design and fabrication of a photovoltaic power system for the Papago Indian village of Schuchuli (Gunsight), Arizona. [3. 5 kW]
Description of photovoltaic village power systems in the United States and Africa
Related Subjects
INDIAN RESERVATIONS
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES
ECONOMIC IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT
AMERICAN INDIANS
ARIZONA
ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
FOOD
FOOD PROCESSING
PROCUREMENT
REFRIGERATORS
REMOTE AREAS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
APPLIANCES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FEDERAL REGION IX
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
MINORITY GROUPS
NORTH AMERICA
POPULATIONS
POWER SUPPLIES
PROCESSING
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
USA
140400* - Solar Energy- Environmental Aspects
140600 - Solar Energy- Photovoltaic Power Systems