[September 22, 2003] Powerlight To Install Winery Solar Electric System At Rodney Strong Vineyards Rodney Strong Vineyards signed an agreement with Powerlight Solar Electric Systems of Berkeley, California to install the largest winery solar electric system in the world of wine. The winery, located in Healdsburg, California will commence with installation in early October of 2003 and the project is scheduled to be complete before the end of the year. Once installed on the winery's 100,000 square foot barrelhouse, the solar system will generate 766 kilowatts of power. During full days of sun, the system will be capable of supporting a significant portion of all the winery's power needs. Over the 25-year life of the system, the solar generated electricity will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 8,700 tons. The emissions reductions are equivalent to planting almost 2,500 acres of trees, removing 1,700 cars from the road or not driving nearly 22 million miles on California's roadways (equivalent to 45 trips to the moon and back)! In addition, the solar system will generate enough electricity during the daytime to power almost 800 homes. Tom Klein, winery CEO explains, Solar electrical systems have never been more suitable to our industry. The combination of solar technology improvements, along with customary flat surfaced winery storage areas and their sunny locations, have made renewable energy more commercially viable. The Klein family, a century-old California farming family, has owned Rodney Strong Vineyards for 13 years. In that time, they have made a significant investment to build what has become a Sonoma County franchise, by producing wine only from Sonoma county, by investing in over 1,000 acres of vineyard land and now by taking a major step to protect the quality of life in the region. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]