Nelson Family Vineyards is located in Mendocino County, California, and has installed a floating solar system on an irrigation pond to operate 100% using renewable energy. This innovative project enables this 74 year old, 1800 acre family farm to fully utilize clean energy without reducing any agricultural land production.

Combined with the existing solar system on the winery roof, this floating photovoltaic (FPV) system is expected to generate approximately 200000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually - enough to meet the electricity needs of the winery, agricultural pumps, wine tasting rooms, shops, and 12 on-site households. It is predicted that this will save Nelson Family Vineyards approximately $90000 annually, significantly reducing operating costs and also contributing to its commitment to sustainable operations.

With the sharp rise in electricity costs on the grid, achieving energy independence will have a significant and immediate impact on our operations. This investment will save us a lot of money every year, "said Tyler Nelson, owner of Nelson Family Vineyards. The best thing is that because the system floats on the pond, it doesn't occupy an acre of production land. This means that all of our 1800 acres of land can be used for the most important things - agriculture and protecting wildlife habitats

The FPV device will also serve as a key on-site site for research on the ecological impact of FPV technology. Scientists from the Wildlife Energy Center at the University of California, Davis will use this system to study how FPV systems affect water quality, aquatic life, microclimate, and biodiversity in agricultural environments.

One of the main focuses of the research will be to determine whether the shadow of floating solar panels can help control invasive planktonic animals (water fleas) and aquatic plants that often clog efficient drip irrigation filters in vineyards - an issue that requires hourly maintenance during peak seasons. By limiting sunlight, solar panels are expected to slow down the growth of aquatic organisms and plants, reducing labor-intensive maintenance and the use of chemicals.

The floating solar system was designed and installed by Noria Energy, a local contractor and affiliated company of Sunrock distributed power generation.

We are honored to collaborate with the Nelson family and the University of California, Davis to help wineries save costs, achieve energy self-sufficiency, and protect natural resources, "said Ron Stimmel, President of Noria Energy. This project demonstrates how FPV technology can turn underutilized water areas into reliable and high-yield power sources, enabling growers to maintain full productivity of their farmland while improving operational sustainability