Floatovoltaics -floating solar array

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The Floatovoltaic installation, developed by Thompson Technology Industries, Inc. (TTI), couples solar power with water, saving valuable vineyard acreage from being sacrificed for land-mounted arrays. This solar system was installed by SPG Solar, using solar panels from Sharp, a leader in solar electricity.

Far Niente’s Floatovoltaic system involved securing nearly 1,000 Sharp solar panels on pontoons, then floating the pontoons on the winery’s vineyard irrigation pond. Combined with a section of an additional 1,300 panels located on land adjacent to the pond, the array is generating 400 kilowatts at peak output, significantly offsetting the winery’s annual power usage and provide a net-zero energy bill.

The Far Niente solar array is located in the 100-acre Martin Stelling Vineyard, which is the cornerstone of the winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon program and is located directly behind the winery. About one acre of vineyard was removed to accommodate the land-mounted portion of the system, but the floating array’s positioning on the pond saved another three-quarters of an acre of valuable Cabernet vines.

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