In order to preserve precious farmland for farming and still take advantage of California's sunny skies for solar power generation, Far Niente Winery in Oakville, Napa Valley, installed floating power panels for a photovoltaic solar-power generation system on the winery's gray water irrigation pond.
Nearly 1,000 floating power panels are mounted on pontoons in the irrigation pond. Another 300 panels are land-mounted. The entire system has a peak production capacity of 477 kilowatts. In addition to preserving farmland, the waterborne installation prevents pond evaporation and algae bloom and has reduced a $270,000 annual energy bill to zero.
Back in 2008, Trend Hunter told you about the floatovoltaic installation at this Solar Powered Winery. We thought you'd like to see more detailed information and know how its all been working out.
What's Driving This Trend
- Waterborne Solar Arrays
- Innovative installation of solar panels on water bodies for efficient power production and utilization.
- Floatovoltaic Systems
- Increasing trend of installing solar panels on water bodies for maximum land utilization and lower energy costs.
- Gray Water Reuse
- Growing trend of installing solar panels on gray water irrigation ponds to reduce energy bills while saving farmland.
Who This Affects Most
- Renewable Energy
- Opportunity for companies to develop and market innovative solutions for efficient renewable energy production.
- Agriculture
- Opportunity for farmers and agribusinesses to optimize land usage and reduce energy bills by installing solar panels on irrigation ponds.
- Construction
- Opportunity for construction companies to develop and implement waterborne solar array systems for commercial and industrial buildings.
