St. Helena, CA, December 1, 2015— Joseph Phelps Vineyards is pleased to announce the addition of a 298.08 kW DC solar panel system to the rooftop of its Napa Valley winemaking facility. Producing 475,100 kWh/y, the system will significantly reduce the winery’s production facility electrical costs. For the project, the Phelps family and management team enlisted California-based companies Blue Sky Utilities, a renewable energy developer providing custom solar solutions, and BPi, a leading EPC contractor of solar energy installation.
Based on carbonify.com information, the 1,104 panels should off-set 532,620 pounds of CO2, 1,482 pounds of Sulfur Dioxide and 780 pounds of Nitrogen Oxides. This is equivalent to planting 1,329 fast growing trees in a rain forest. The panels will serve as an important step in using 100% renewable energy in the production of Joseph Phelps Vineyards’ Napa Valley wines.
“This development is part of our long-term commitment to sustainability,” said Bill Phelps, President of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. “We are excited about the environmental aspects of this project and we hope to develop additional solar initiatives in the future.”
“BPi is proud to be contributing to the sustainable winemaking at Joseph Phelps,” said Barend Venter, CEO of BPi. “We are dedicated to supporting their long-term environmental responsibility strategy.”
Installation of the panels began in Spring 2015 and became operational in time for the 2015 harvest. Possible future plans include installing a solar crush pad structure to reduce electrical costs in other areas of the property through the PG&E aggregated metering program.
About Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned winery committed to crafting world class, estate-grown wines. Founded in 1973 when Joe Phelps purchased a former cattle ranch near St. Helena in the Napa Valley, the winery now controls and farms nearly 375 acres of vines on eight estate vineyards in St. Helena, the Stags Leap District, Oakville, Rutherford, Oak Knoll District, Carneros and South Napa Valley. In 1999, the Phelps family added 100 acres of vineyard property near the town of Freestone on the Sonoma Coast, where Phelps now grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Phelps is best known for its flagship Napa Valley blend of red Bordeaux varieties, Insignia, first produced in 1974. Awarded Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year” in 2005, Insignia is widely regarded as a qualitative benchmark for California winemaking. Visit online at josephphelps.com, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr and YouTube @JosephPhelps.
About Blue Sky Utility
Blue Sky Utility is a renewable energy developer providing custom solar solutions for large facilities. Our highly experienced team offers a one-stop-shop to maximize efficiency by providing innovative financing solutions, optimizing structure surfaces, and utilizing the most trusted roof specialists and contractors in the industry to offer complete systems engineered to last. We’ve already installed more than 1 million square feet of combined power in California alone, helping facilities save thousands in utility bills each month. Blue Sky Utility combines extensive engineering knowledge with financial expertise to create custom solar energy solutions that work for each facility’s specific requirements and needs. For more information and a list of clients, visit www.blueskyutility.com
About BPi
BPi is a leading EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contractor of solar energy installations. Based in California with services nationwide, the company designs, installs and manages advanced photovoltaic systems for large commercial and utility-scale applications. BPi’s main objective is to construct and operate the co-generation systems, retaining projects under BPi management for maximum efficiency and profitability. BPi uses A-grade resources that are proficient with a proven track record. This ensures the long-term sustainable efficient generation of the co-generation system and offsets the risk for the system owners. For more information and a list of projects, visit www.bpi-power.com
