Solar Technologies and Storrs Winery Augments Their Sustainable Vineyards With a 12.4 kW Solar Power System

Santa Cruz, CA – February 10, 2008

Solar Technologies recently completed a 12.4 kW solar power system for Storrs Winery at their Corralitos vineyard estate near Santa Cruz, California.  Steve and Pamela Storrs, owners of Storrs Winery, have been converting their estate to organic farming practices. In keeping with their philosophy of sustainable farming, they chose to install a solar power system by Solar Technologies to power the irrigation pumps of their farm.

Storrs Winery wins many awards for their boutique wines, created by master winemakers Steve and Pamela Storrs. In 2001 they bought 50 acres in the Pleasant Valley district of Corralitos, on the southwestern slopes of Mount Madonna in the Santa Cruz Mountains and began converting the estate to sustainable and organic farming practices. Pamela Storrs stated, “this is the realization of our dream to produce fantastic wine without harming the environment and to prove that it can be done.”

Their goal is to minimize their impact on the environment by using sustainable farming techniques. They have preserved the wildlife corridors and habitats on their farm. They’ve incorporated bat boxes for bats which are a natural predator for the Apple Codling Moth; barn owl boxes and raptor perches for barn owls which are natural predators of gophers and ground squirrels. They do cover cropping to build up the fertility of the soil and have removed non-native invasive plants. Storrs Winery also organically farms three acres of heirloom Newtown Pippin apples which are sold to a local CSA (community-supported agriculture) farm share program.

Storrs Winery installed the solar power system to minimize their impact on the environment by using the clean, renewable energy from the sun. Solar Technologies designed and built their 12.4 kW ground-mounted system. The solar power system is composed of 62 Kyocera KC200s and 3 Xantrex 3.8 inverters. Roger DeNault, president of Solar Technologies stated, “ Storrs Winery is saving 100% on their current electric bills. The estimated payback with the state rebate, federal tax credits and accelerated depreciation is 7-8 years. Not only is the energy sustainably created, but it also protects their bottom line from electric rate increases and blackouts, as well as creating a shade structure for the local wildlife and farm animals.”

About Solar Technologies
Solar Technologies is a Santa Cruz-based solar power installer designing and building solar power systems for commercial and residential electric users. Visit their website at www.solartechnologies.com or call 831-421-0440 for more information about installing a solar power system on your business or home. 312 Locust St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060

About Storrs Winery
Storrs Winery is an award-winning winery located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Their tasting room is located at the Old Sash Mill, 303 Portero St. no. 35, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Visit their website at www.storrswine.com or call 831-458-5030 for more information.