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Common Sense Solutions - Starting Now

Vineyard Powered

by Floating Solar Cells

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Breakthrough in Energy Production

The Far Niente Winery located in California's Napa Valley is completely powered by solar energy.

What is unusual is that the panels are all installed on a pond on the property.

The land is simply too expensive, so the owners decided to float the panels on their irrigation pond, using new photovoltaic technology.

Aside from being less expensive in an area like Napa Valley,"Floating Solar" may have additional benefits. The panels give shade to the water, keeping it cleaner. There is a reduction in water evaporation and algae growth.

One major benefit to this new technology is that many energy intensive industries have potentially untouched space in their water basins to convert to solar. Previously they would have needed more land to consider a major conversion.

These types of water basins are not natural reserves, or open sea, rather they are industrial water basins already in use for other purposes. So the new solar panels will not have a negative impact on natural landscapes.

Let's raise a glass to that!


--Bibi Farber