Customer:Pilot Peak Winery
Industry: Wine Making and Sales
Location: Penn Valley. CA
System Type: Roof Mounted
System Size: 32.3 kW, DC
Inverters: 4 SMA SB7000 Watt 240v
Total Annual Production:
Annual Electric Bill (before solar): $21,000
Annual Electric Bill (after solar): $0
Installed System Payoff: 8 years
Customer Need:
Pilot Peak Winery was looking to find a sustainable solution for their fixed overhead energy costs. “We were most concerned with the rising energy costs and knew that our “fixed energy costs” were not fixed at all. Paying the ever-rising utility electric bills just wasn’t a sustainable solution”.
“Equally important to our families (3rd and 4th generation to Northern California) is an environmentally friendly source of electricity. Knowing that our winery no longer buys electricity produced from the petroleum of another country is a great feeling” (said Jacque Wilson, who is a managing partner at Pilot Peak Winery in Penn Valley, CA).
Challenge:
Given the location of the winery there was little available space adjacent for a ground mounted solution that would provide enough direct sunlight to provide the efficiency desired, leaving a roof mounted system as the only solution available. However, given the size of the structure needed for the size of the solar electric system an expansion would be required for the project to be viable.
Solution:
DC Solar designed a system around a solar structure to match the existing building and accommodate the full array required. This structure not only provided enough roof space for the installed system, but also provided additional dry space for their wine crush pad and event areas that are now shaded.
Benefit:
DC Solar was able to provide Pilot Peak with a valuable investment back into their property with commercial financing that was a perfect match. DC Solar handled the project from front to back, including all the PG&E, State and federal rebates, design and all the required permits. The installed system provides enough power, that the electrical company now credits Pilot Peak $200.00 per year[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column]