Northern Cheyenne buffalo facility installs off-grid solar and storage system

A remote buffalo caretaking facility on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation near Ashland, Montana, has installed a fully off-grid solar and battery system to power its operations and replace a diesel generator, according to Solar Builder Magazine. The system includes 36 kilowatts of solar and 57.6 kilowatt-hours of battery storage, providing electricity to a culturally significant site with no grid access, according to the publication.

The project was developed and installed by Freedom Forever in collaboration with Indigenized Energy, a Native-led nonprofit focused on advancing tribal energy sovereignty. Solar Builder Magazine reported that Jinko Solar donated some of the equipment and materials used on the project.

The new system will allow the facility to expand operations and potentially double the size of its buffalo herd, according to Brandon Small, manager of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation buffalo facility. Small said the increased capacity could also allow the program to increase annual harvests donated back to the community.