Napa Valley winery flips on Flotovoltaic solar array

Chalk another one up for Sharp. The company has landed yet another partner willing to utilize its solar panels in order to make news, wow onlookers and give Mother Earth a modicum of a break. Napa Valley winery Far Niente has flipped on its self-coined Floatovoltaic installation, which was developed by Thompson Technology Industries and installed by SPG Solar. Nearly 2,300 Sharp solar panels were secured for the job, and we're told that the array generates 400 kWs at peak output, which "significantly offsets the winery's annual power usage and provides a net-zero energy bill." Don't expect that coveted bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to be any cheaper as a result, though.

[Via CNET]

[Adm. Chan @ Jun 1st 2008 11:38AM]

Check out Chappellet Winery in Napa they are also in the process of installing solar panels and will soon be providing all their own energy as well.

They have a webcam on their website so you can watch the progress.

[Russell @ Jun 1st 2008 9:17PM]

I would have loved to see them drop one of the Toshiba sealed mini-nuke plants in instead of all the solar panels. They could have actually used the extra space for more grapes too.

[Eric @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:03AM]

On a random side note, I wonder what would happen if worldwide oil shortages happens for an extended period of time (or indefinitely)? How effective (or possible) would construction of new renewable systems be if gasoline-based transportation were limited? (Although I'm not saying that society as a whole may breakdown.)

[Corey @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:12AM]

I was in the California 2 years ago and Frogs Leap had just installed an acre of panels. The tour guide said it cost around $1 mill but they only had to pay 25% of that. The government picked up 25% and the local electric picked up 50%. Now this tour was after having several samples that day so my percentages could be skewed.

They removed an acre of grapes to put in the panels. Said it was worth it since now their bill was teens instead of a couple thousand.

He also pointed out that they were organic, but didn't label themselves that way because they didn't want to be on a small back shelf with the other organic wines.