Trinchero Family Estates Solar Production to Reach 11.5 Million kWh
Trinchero Family Estates, the second-largest family-owned winery and largest winery in Napa Valley, said it is making "significant" investments in solar across four properties. Together, annual solar production across the four sites will reach 11.5 million kWh.
The wineries are Westside winery in Lodi, Main Street winery in St. Helena, Trinchero Central Coast winery in Paso Robles, and Green Island Road winery in American Canyon.
Green Island Road winery's solar installation is the first to be completed and receive permission to operate; the American Canyon winery is now running on solar. With a system size of 1,244 kWdc, it features a total of 3,168 solar panels and 18 50/60kW inverters that will generate more than 2 million kWh annually. REC Solar/Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions has meticulously designed the systems at Green Island Road and TFE's other properties to accommodate evolution and expansion; Main Street winery's future-minded systems will come online in December with battery storage and microgrid capabilities.
These solar installations across TFE properties are projected to achieve significant solar offset percentages, contributing to a greener energy mix. For example, the anticipated solar offset at the Green Island Road site is expected to reach 95%, resulting in a substantial reduction in the winery's reliance on traditional energy sources. When the outputs of all of its fuel cells and solar panels are added up, TFE will be self-generating 25.4 million kWh annually starting in 2024.
Most of the installations are rooftop. Westside winery in Lodi will feature one large field of solar panels, ground mounted, which are in addition to the existing rooftop solar installation.
TFE has been investing in solar at least since 2008, with it installed rooftop solar arrays at Westside winery in Lodi, setting an industry precedent for installing solar on new construction. In 2010, TFE collaborated with Bloom Energy to install fuel cell systems at Main Street winery, making it the first in the wine industry to embrace this innovative technology. Each of TFE's Napa properties and vineyards have also been running on 100% MCE-supplied renewable electricity since 2017.