Wineries are adding more solar power

FINGER LAKES (11/14/15)--Fred Frank, president of Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars says his new 51 kilowatt (KW) solar array is not only generating power the winery can use in making wine -- it's also generating interest in solar power among his customers and other wineries. A gauge in the tasting room allows visitors to observe the amount of power being harvested at any moment.
"It's up and running, and the meter's running backwards," Frank says. "We've been blessed with lots of sunny days this fall so it's helped us generate more power."
Frank's installation is part of a larger project. In recent years, many wineries have become interested in the sustainability of solar energy, but encountered formidable obstacles that prevented implementation. Managing the many aspects and details involved in creating large-scale solar power generating systems, from customizable technology to financing, to cooperating with a sometimes skeptical utility company turned out to be like coordinating thousands of ingredients for a giant cake. Serving as "chefs" for this endeavor are Suzanne Hunt, president of Hunt Green, LLC, a sustainability and energy advisory company and Mar Kelly, commercial solar power developer and president of District Sun.
Hunt, daughter of Joyce and Art Hunt of Hunt Country Vineyards, says her whole family has long been interested in sustainable management. And it made sense to move ahead on this project with several established wineries at once. "Having one winery go solar doesn't make a big dent, but if more do, it starts to move the needle," she says.
Hunt Country's solar panels began generating electricity Aug. 12 this year. "It's an extremely good investment with payback in about seven years," Joyce Hunt says. "We had talked about it and had looked into using solar power for years, but the price was prohibitive. We put in a geothermal system, we're always looking for ways to conserve and use renewable energy. But the cost of solar has gone down substantially, and now it is economically viable."
Part of the complexity of the project becomes apparent when Art Hunt explains a single-family house may require 20-30 solar panels -- but to generate 109 KW for their winery required 348 of them. "We're pleased," he says. "We don't have to touch it; and after seven to eight years the installation will be paid for by a loan that's roughly the same amount as our electric bill used to be. And the panels could work 70 years with only minimal maintenance."
"We took a big chance," says Mar Kelly. "We put a tremendous amount of resources and money into it and it actually did work out." Under Kelly's direction, teams of electrical engineers analyzed the occasionally high electrical needs of commercial winery operations and the ability of rural electrical systems to cope with new technologies. They were able to negotiate the solar/commercial utility interface, in some instances created special transformers to keep both systems running smoothly.
They presented technical information to the utility and in some instances, like the installation for Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars and Hunt Country Vineyards, re-designed and stepped down the planned systems several times, to meet utility company objections to what they saw as a potential challenge to their infrastructure. Frank originally wanted a larger unit, but the electric company said they were worried it could cause interruptions and flickering for other rural customers. Kelly's company brokered a compromise.
Meanwhile, financial experts created spread-sheets to take to the bank, itemizing tax credits, depreciation and electrical rates for 25 years. "These can be very complicated because some some vineyards are corporations, some are LLCs," Kelly notes. "We customized legal contracts for the lenders so the banks would accept them and know the projects would get done. We created a financial model and completely transformed the solar market. And we did all this before we signed the contracts."
Financing arrangements with the banks allow those installing solar energy to get loans repaid by the electrical costs saved by solar power generation. "So it's cash-flow neutral," Hunt says.
Two other wineries also put in systems with help from Hunt and Kelly. Still in the process of installation are a 250 KW solar plant at Wagner Vineyards in Lodi and a 62KW at O-Neh-Da and Eagle Crest Vineyards in Conesus.
"We just signed up four more vineyards with this template," Kelly says. "There is tremendous interest. The time for everyone to do it is now, before the tax credit goes away. And seeing is believing."
Many other wineries -- perhaps a majority of Finger Lakes wineries -- are currently investigating solar power with a variety of providers -- or have already installed it. Scott Osborn, co-owner of Fox Run Vineyards in Penn Yan explains, "We went operational six weeks ago. Our power goes directly into the grid and we get credit. Half my power is being generated here on the farm, the other half at Qwiksolar, the solar farm in Geneva."
Osborn says he had to split his solar feed because the power lines in his area were not equipped to handle the power he could generate. "As far as I know it's all good," he says. "I went to solar because it's very low maintenance, the impact on the environment is minimal, and all around it just seems to be the way to go."
"My dream would be to have a 100 percent renewable wine industry within the next 10 years," Suzanne Hunt says. "We're trying to be the best stewards of the land we can. We're the seventh generation on that farm, trying to innovate and help others in the community as well."
Sunday, Oct. 25, from noon to 5 p.m., the regional wineries using solar will be part of a national solar tour, Hunt says. For those who wish to find out more, this is an opportunity to meet solar installers and specialists will be at Wagner Vineyards, Hunt Country Vineyards and Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars to see how it works and ask questions.