Nelson family vineyards in Mendocino County, California, is powering 100% of its operations with renewable energy after installing a floating solar system on an irrigation pond. The innovative project allows the 74-year-old, 1,800-hectare family farm to operate entirely on clean energy without taking any agricultural land out of production.
Together with an existing solar system on the winery’s roof, the floating photovoltaic (FPV) system is expected to generate approximately 200,000 kWh of electricity annually – enough to power the winery, agricultural pumps, tasting room, retail store and 12 homes on site. This is expected to save Nelson Family Vineyards an estimated $90,000 annually, significantly reducing operating costs while supporting its commitment to sustainable operations.
“With the cost of electricity from the grid rising so much, becoming energy independent will have a major and immediate impact on our operations. This investment will save us a tremendous amount of money year after year,” said Tyler Nelson, owner of Nelson Family Vineyards. “Best of all, because the system floats on a pond, not a single acre of land is taken out of production. That means our entire 1,800 acres can be used solely for what matters most: agriculture and supporting wildlife habitat.”
The FPV installation will also serve as a key field site for a study on the ecological impacts of FPV technology. Scientists at the UC Davis Wild Energy Center will use the system to investigate how FPV systems affect water quality, aquatic species, microclimates and biodiversity in an agricultural environment.
A major focus of the study will be to determine whether shading from the floating solar panels can help control invasive zooplankton (water fleas) and aquatic weeds that often clog the vineyard’s high-efficiency drip irrigation filters – a problem that requires hourly maintenance during the peak season. By limiting sunlight, the panels are expected to slow the growth of water fleas and aquatic weeds, reducing both labor-intensive maintenance and chemical use.
The floating solar system was designed and installed by Noria energya local contractor and a subsidiary of Sunrock Distributed Generation.
“It was a privilege to partner with the Nelson Family and UC Davis to help the winery save money, become energy self-sufficient and conserve natural resources,” said Ron Stimmel, president of Noria Energy. “This project demonstrates how FPV technology can convert underutilized water bodies into reliable, highly productive energy sources, allowing growers to improve both the sustainability and efficiency of their operations while keeping farmland fully productive.”
News item from Noria Energy
