Vintners plant solar panels alongside grapes (CA)

[jpak]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solarwine13oct13,1,4064494.story?coll=la-mininav-business&ctrack=1&cset=true

Clusters of harvest-ready grapes, pendulous and purple, dangle among deep green leaves at Frog's Leap winery in Rutherford, Calif., waiting to become Napa Valley wine.

But a few rows over is a plant of a different kind -- an array of square-faced solar panels that provide the power to keep operations humming.

<snip>

Rob Erlichman, founder of San Francisco-based Sunlight Electric, estimates that there are 28 systems in Napa County and another 14 in next-door Sonoma County. His company has more than a dozen wineries as clients, including Long Meadow and Frog's Leap.

"This thing has really picked up a head of steam in the last couple of years," he said.

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[NV Whino]

1. One of my clients will be solar operated

as soon as he gets his permits to start the winery.