Solar energy system fuels cold storage facility at P-R Farms
Solar energy system fuels cold storage facility at P-R Farms
CLOVIS, CA -- It was "the right thing to do" and it made good economic sense, Pat Ricchiuti, owner of P-R Farms, said in explaining his reasons for installing a $6.4 million solar energy system on the roof of the company's 150,000-square-foot packing and cold storage facility here.
The system, which will generate approximately one megawatt of power and supply up to 60 percent of the facilitys electricity needs at peak usage, incorporates 7,730 solar panels, which almost completely cover the roof of the facility. Each panel measures 40 inches by 48 inches.
Twenty-five percent of the project is on line currently and seems to be working fine, Mr. Ricchiuti told The Produce News Friday, June 24. The remaining three-quarters of the system was expected to be in operation by July 8.
Electricity generated by the portion of the system already operating was being used to meet the power consumption needs of the packinghouse.
During the packing season, Mr. Ricchiuti said, the electricity bill from Pacific Gas & Electric generally runs $15,000 to $18,000. After the system was installed, Our first bill from PG&E on our packinghouse was only $3,000 to $4,000, he said. It was a huge drop. The bill just disappeared. It was a great feeling to see that.
With a 50 percent state rebate, the cost of the project to P-R Farms is approximately $3.2 million, he said. We are anticipating a nine- to 11-year payback period, depending partly on whether electricity rates go up or down during that time.
Before making the decision to proceed with the project, we ran the numbers a number of times, Mr. Ricchiuti said. I look at this as [a way to] reduce my operating costs to make me more competitive.
But in addition, he said, we wanted to set the bar higher and set an example [to show] that agriculture is doing the right thing.
People in agriculture are the best environmentalists there are in the world, he said. We are the caretakers of the land, the water, the air and are able to utilize [them] more efficiently than anyone else. The solar energy system was another step in that right direction, and a way to show everyone that agriculture has a strong place in preserving the environment, he said.
The system, which will generate approximately one megawatt of power and supply up to 60 percent of the facilitys electricity needs at peak usage, incorporates 7,730 solar panels, which almost completely cover the roof of the facility. Each panel measures 40 inches by 48 inches.
Twenty-five percent of the project is on line currently and seems to be working fine, Mr. Ricchiuti told The Produce News Friday, June 24. The remaining three-quarters of the system was expected to be in operation by July 8.
Electricity generated by the portion of the system already operating was being used to meet the power consumption needs of the packinghouse.
During the packing season, Mr. Ricchiuti said, the electricity bill from Pacific Gas & Electric generally runs $15,000 to $18,000. After the system was installed, Our first bill from PG&E on our packinghouse was only $3,000 to $4,000, he said. It was a huge drop. The bill just disappeared. It was a great feeling to see that.
With a 50 percent state rebate, the cost of the project to P-R Farms is approximately $3.2 million, he said. We are anticipating a nine- to 11-year payback period, depending partly on whether electricity rates go up or down during that time.
Before making the decision to proceed with the project, we ran the numbers a number of times, Mr. Ricchiuti said. I look at this as [a way to] reduce my operating costs to make me more competitive.
But in addition, he said, we wanted to set the bar higher and set an example [to show] that agriculture is doing the right thing.
People in agriculture are the best environmentalists there are in the world, he said. We are the caretakers of the land, the water, the air and are able to utilize [them] more efficiently than anyone else. The solar energy system was another step in that right direction, and a way to show everyone that agriculture has a strong place in preserving the environment, he said.
