In the early 1970s the Shafer family moved back to the land: to Napa Valley, that is, just north of San Francisco. By the 1980s, the Shafer’s had transformed a dormant 50 acre vineyard into one of the first sustainable viticulture operations in the region.
Earlier this yeasr, Shafer Vineyard took another step towards a green harvest — perhaps, even, a giant leap: they’ve gone completely off the grid.
In January, the already eco-friendly farm installed a network of solar panels costing nearly one million dollars (for which the government paid half). The system produces 129 kilowatts per hour (at times of peak sun exposure), enough electricity to power 20 to 30 typical homes.
The company expects the investment will pay for itself in about seven years time. In this report, you’ll meet Doug Shafer and find out why he has joined the growing movement to power state-of-the-art vineyards with sunlight.
- Shafer Vineyards Switches To 100 Percent Solar Power, press release, What’s New at Shafer Vineyards
- Emerging Renewables Program, California Energy Commission
- Vineyard Solar Energy Case Study (Saratoga, CA), press release, Akeena Solar, Inc.
- Raymond Burr Vineyards Go Solar, Renewable Energy Access
- Fetzer Vineyards (Hopland, CA), Case Study, press release, PowerLight Solar Electric Systems
- Rodney Strong Vineyards Installing Largest Solar Energy System in the World of Wine, press release, Rodney Strong Vineyards