Stovepipe Wells Village finishes solar energy system

Stovepipe Wells Village in Death Valley National Park has completed its 483.8 kW solar energy system.

“Stovepipe Wells plays a vital role in visitor access and services across the park,” Stovepipe Wells Village General Manager Phillip Lewis said in a statement. “This project is a big step toward cleaner operations in one of the most challenging environments in the country.”

This is the largest clean energy project ever installed at the village, according to the adventure lifestyle company POWDR, the concessioner for Stovepipe Wells under a decade-long contract with the National Park Service that began in 2024.

POWDR wrote in a Sept. 2 press release that the system, “began producing power during the summer of 2025 and is already delivering results: an estimated 733,680 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity in its first year, or roughly 70% of the property’s annual energy use across lodging, dining, retail, an RV park, employee housing, and pool and administrative facilities.”

“Every kilowatt-hour we produce here is one less we pull from the grid — and that adds up fast in a place with more than a million kWh in annual demand,” Lewis added.

POWDR said its plans for improving the property included installing a large solar array, supplying almost all electric needs and shifting the location toward net zero carbon emissions. POWDR stated that solar installation is slightly challenging in Stovepipe Wells since most of its facilities were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s.

“The completed system now delivers on that promise, serving seven metered areas that together consume more than 1,061,000 kWh per year,” POWDR wrote in the release. “The installation uses Boviet Solar Vega Series BVM6612-450 bifacial solar modules, which were chosen for their efficiency and ability to handle extreme heat. In a park where summer ground temperatures regularly exceed 125°F, equipment durability was a central design factor.”

The project covers a wide swath of the village’s operations, POWDR said. A 270.2 kW array covers a majority of the system, serving the registration area and Panamint lodging buildings, the property’s highest-consuming meter, POWDR explained.

“Conservation strengthens the guest experience,” POWDR Vice President of Sustainability Raj Basi said in a statement. “By using less energy and generating clean power on-site, we reduce our footprint and protect the desert resources that make Death Valley special. Those savings help us reinvest in the long-term stewardship this park deserves. True to our values, this project cares for the land today so it can be experienced for generations.”

Visitor lodging in the 49er and Roadrunner buildings, maintenance area, the public RV park, the pool, administrative buildings and employee RV area are supported by smaller arrays, POWDR stated.

For more information about Stovepipe Wells Village, visit stovepipedeathvalley.com.

Visit powdr.com to learn about POWDR.

Contact reporter Elijah Dulay at edulay@pvtimes.com