New Mexico Solar Energy Association
The NMSEA mission is to educate, empower, advocate, and collaborate for clean renewable energy. NMSEA is a state chapter of ASES, the American Solar Energy Society.
Announcement: NMSEA Seeking New Board Members & Volunteers!
NMSEA is looking for volunteers to help with a variety of opportunities, including:
- Board of Directors
- Fundraising
- Strategic Planning
- Mentoring Students
- Social Media and Communications
- Solar Home Tours
- Solar Development Projects
Requirements for joining the board:
- Current NMSEA membership
- 2-year term commitment (with the option to run for additional terms)
- Regular board meeting attendance (monthly via Zoom)
- Active engagement
If interested in volunteer opportunities or applying to join the board, please reach out to us at staff@nmsolar.org.
Upcoming Events
ASES National Solar Conference
Solar 2026: October 19-21, 2026
Palmer Events Center | Austin, TX
Recent Events
New Mexico Solar Tour Highlights All-Electric, Fossil-Fuel-Free Homes
October 4, 2026
The Taos event, held at a Zero E Model Home in El Prado, drew about 20 participants for a morning of presentations, discussion and touring. The all-electric, fossil-fuel-free home gave visitors an opportunity to see firsthand how latest building science, energy-efficient design, heat pumps and solar electricity can work together to dramatically reduce a home’s energy use and carbon emissions. The event was presented in cooperation with the New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA), ASES and Renewable Taos and also served as a fundraiser for NMSEA.
Three guest presenters added a practical educational component to the tour. Nolan Hyman of Mitsubishi Electric discussed the latest developments in cold-climate heat-pump technology and Mitsubishi’s range of heat-pump systems. Dan Baker of EnviroActive presented on solar electric systems, while Steve Meyer of Energy Demand Solutions talked about weatherization and ways to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes.
The presentations sparked plenty of questions and lively discussion. What started as a home tour grew into more than three hours of conversation about Zero Energy homes, electrification and the technologies available to homeowners today.
The following day, visitors had another opportunity to experience Zero Energy design at a home in Santa Fe. Together, the two tours showed how an efficient building envelope, all-electric systems and renewable energy can be combined with contemporary architecture to create comfortable homes without relying on fossil fuels.
Perhaps the most rewarding part of the weekend was the opportunity for people to experience these ideas in an actual home. Rather than simply talking about heat pumps, solar energy and energy efficiency, visitors could see how these technologies work together as part of a complete building.
The weekend was a great reminder of the value of the ASES National Solar Tour as a way to open doors, bring people together and turn ideas about a clean-energy future into something people can actually see and experience.
Zero Energy Home designed by Joaquin Karcher
Steve Meyer of Energy Demand Solutions speaks on weatherization and ways to improve energy efficiency of existing homes
Dan Baker of EnviroActive presents on solar electric systems
Tucson Citizens For Solar hosts their annual solar cooking potluck, livestreamed by the Solar Cooking Museum, as part of a three-week Earthwide Solar Cooking Festival starting September 12, 2026.
- Event at Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona, from 10 am to 5 pm, with park entrance fees applying.
- The potluck is free; festival registration is free.
- The event promotes solar energy, clean cooking, and sustainable living since 1983.
- https://azstateparks.com/catalina/events/43rd-annual-solar-potluck-in-catalina-state-park
10am to 3pm
Balloon Fiesta Park
Speaker: Joaquin Karcher, Zero Energy Designer and founder of zeroedesigns, Taos, NM
When: Monday, March. 23, 2026 6:30 pm Zoom. Register here.
Description: This talk explores practical, cost-effective pathways to decarbonized housing, focusing on fossil fuels free construction and a new building-science–based approach capable of reducing heating and cooling energy use by up to 90%. It will briefly look in the rear-view mirror at how we arrived at today’s building practices, outline the current state of the art in high-efficiency construction, and explain how these systems work in practice. From there, Joaquin will introduce an emerging approach that simplifies high performance while dramatically cutting energy demand—offering a realistic path toward climate-aligned housing that remains attainable and cost-effective for everyday communities.
Joaquin Karcher‘s work over the last 35 years has been driven by a commitment to sustainable design, from earth architecture to passive solar/adobe construction to Passive House standards and beyond. He designed the first certified passive house in New Mexico, co-authored the New Mexico Earthen Materials Building code which was adopted internationally and has designed homes in Germany, New Mexico, Arizona and the Navajo Nation. His focus now is on affordable, zero-carbon, ultra-efficient residences powered entirely by solar energy. Karcher Biography zeroedesign website
Presented by 350NM and the New Mexico Solar Energy Association
Climate Solutions Day at the Roundhouse
Annual Meeting 2026
Annual Meeting
11:30 AM, Saturday, January 17, 2026
Featured Speaker: Troy McGee
“Progress in Community Solar”
Election of Board Members and Officers
Discussion of Solar Initiatives for 2026
Location: Tony Hillerman Library
8205 Apache Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110
(or Join Zoom Meeting)
https://ases-org.zoom.us/j/83266856250?pwd=Yi2fLIn9MuaLaESIJcU5KyMFc05Kdg.1
Meeting ID: 832 6685 6250
Passcode: 042742
Lunch Following at:
Sun Day, Roosevelt Park, Albuquerque, Sunday noon-3PM, September 21, 2025
National Ambient Energy for Buildings Research Symposium, Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, September 7 – 9, 2025, https://engineering.louisville.edu/naebrs/
The Symposium, held at Ghost Ranch, was simply magical. Most of the pioneers of passive solar architecture were in attendance. To kick off the symposium, Mark Chalom, pictured below, hosted a wonderful pizza party at his house on Abiquiu Lake. About 100 people were in attendance, including many NMSEA members. New and old friendships were cemented. Much information was shared, history was recounted, and new things were learned.
Solar Agrivoltaics Field Trip - Saturday, August 16, 2025
Los Poblanos Fields Open Space Visitor Parking area at Montano Rd NW and Tierra Viva Pl .
Brian Naughton guided us on a 1/2 a mile walk to the agrivoltaic project.
Followed by:
noon to 1 PM
Steve shared his experiences with Solar PV, Batteries, and Agrivoltaics.
Sandwiches and Lemonade were provided
Renewable Energy Day at Albuquerque High School
Walter Gerstle, Nancy Singham, Ward McCartney, Steve McWilliams, Jim Mackenzie
Lectures to six classes, solar cookies and hotdogs, and an EV car show
Monday, April 21, 2025
Earth Day at Balloon Fiesta Park
Greg Crabtree, Steve McWilliams, Jim Mckenzie, Robert Foster, Walter Gerstle
Solar Cooking Demo, Sun Chaser Demo, Villager Solar Cooker Demo
April 13, 2025
Climate Crisis Day at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe on March 7, 2025. Troy McGee, Ward McCarthy, Tom Solomon, Stefi Weisburd, Walter Gerstle and Steve McWilliams participated by tabling, demonstrating electric vehicles and heat pump technology, and educating legislators about real solutions to the climate crisis. The event was sponsored by the Sierra Club.
Saturday January 18, 2025 – Annual Meeting
NMSEA hosted a solar cooking demonstration in perfect sunny calm winter weather at the Bachechi Open Space Education Building.
Eggs, cookies, muffins, chile, beans, enchiladas were cooked in a variety of cookers. A number of passersby and NMSEA members learned about solar cooking and sampled some of the baked items.
Three past presidents and six board members addressed the assembly of fourteen members.
The following candidates for Board Member were approved for a two-year term, starting January 18, 2025:
Greg Crabtree, Robert Foster, Walter Gerstle, Stephen Kenin,
Troy McGee, Steve McWilliams, Gino Perez
4:30 PM, Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Location: Botts Hall at the Special Collections Library is the Pueblo-style building at the Northwest corner of Edith Blvd. and Central Avenue, (423 Central NE)
https://abqlibrary.org/specialcollections
Self-hosted drinks and dinner followed the talk at the Range Café, 320 Central SE
SPEAKER: Bruce Warren Davis, Architect
TITLE OF TALK:
A Brief Review of the Long History of Passive Solar Design in New Mexico.
ABSTRACT:
Davis spoke on the state of Passive Solar technology as it existed in New Mexico at the time of the founding of The New Mexico Solar Energy Association, how it stands in the world today, and where he sees it evolving in the future, here in New Mexico, and in the world.
Check Out These Pages From Our Friends At 350 New Mexio
350 NM’s Electrify New Mexico page.
350 NM’s Solar and Battery Storage page.