North American companies Canadian Solar and HelioPower have completed installation of a 500kW photovoltaic (PV) array for the Guimarra Vineyards Corporation in California.
Utilising panels from Canadian Solar and components by HelioPower, the new system is expected to produce the majority of power required by Guimarra's main production and cold storage facility in Bakersfield.
Sal Giumarra, president of Giumarra Vineyards Corporation, said, 'Giumarra Vineyards has always been a proponent of sustainable and innovative practices for viticulture and other fresh produce. This installation is a significant milestone in our sustainability programme and effort to reduce electricity consumption throughout our growing and packing operations. Canadian Solar and HelioPower's solar installation expertise was instrumental in our ability to further develop distributed clean energy sources to offset costs and carbon emissions.'
Alan King, general manager of Canadian Solar US, added, 'Giumarra Vineyards is one of the largest and most innovative agricultural organisations in the US, with a rich history dating back more than 80 years. We are proud to be partnering with Giumarra Vineyards as it embraces the environmentally friendly, clean power of solar energy. We expect Canadian Solar's power-efficient, high-quality PV modules will yield great financial savings for the vineyard. We applaud management's commitment to renewable energy and sustainable business practices.'
At the start of this year, Canadian Solar was contracted to supply 1.5MW of PV equipment to Middle East conglomerate the Al Fahad Group.