Solar Celebration

As of February 12, 2009 our first annual billing cycle with PG&E has come to an end. Even with all of the crushing, pumping, bottling, chilling, computing and lighting throughout the year, we ended up producing more electricity than we used. Economically, you could say that we blew it since we do not get paid for the excess energy we deliver to PG&E. But from our view, this is simply an opportunity to do even more with our solar energy going forward. The next change will be to replace the propane water heater with an electric unit that will use our clean solar electricity.

Some Details on our Solar System:

Sizing: We originally sized the system to pay for 95% of our electricity costs. This was designed to be as economically beneficial as possible since we will only be reimbursed for the total costs of the electricity that we use at this site. Any excess energy produced on an annual basis will not be paid for. Due to our current rate schedule, this is not a kilowatt for kilowatt trade.

Rate Schedule: We are on an A-6 rate schedule. This means we are charged at varying rates for the electricity we use depending on the time of year and the time of day. We are paid for the electricity that we generate at these same rates. This works well for a solar system because the rate is the highest at the time when we are producing the most electricity (when the sun is shining). Note on the rate schedule below that the rate for “On Peak” energy is more than three times the rate for “Off Peak”. We can increase our efficiency even more by scheduling energy use, such as charging our electric forklifts, for the Off Peak times.

Efficiency: In our ongoing efforts to be as ecological as possible we have continued to increase our energy efficiency. Two of our largest projects include upgrades to the chillers and air compressors with high efficiency units.

During this change we replaced our old 30 hp air compressor with two direct drive units. One unit is 20 hp with a variable frequency drive and the other is a 10hp unit. In the off-season, we can run the smaller unit daily, only using the larger unit when necessary. We will continue to look for ways to be as efficient as possible.

Future Plans: With the solar system that we have in place and the improvements that we have made to our operation, it is very likely that we will continue to overproduce electricity. To continue maximizing the use of that energy, we are impatiently awaiting the availability of electric cars. What a great way to commute, with free clean energy!

Real Time Monitor:
Check out our current production and get other interesting facts about our solar system HERE

~ Robert deLeuze, Winemaster/CEO