Cuvaison Estate Wines
Overview
Cuvaison Estate Wines is among the early adopters of green technologies and practices, and solar has been a site-friendly solution for its operations in Napa Valley. From the start, the organization recognized accurate monitoring and reporting as vital for responsible management, and also necessary for qualifying for California Solar Initiative (CSI) rebates.
“At Cuvaison there is a shared concern from the staff about climate change and we feel compelled to do what we can to reduce Cuvaison’s impact on our environment. Going solar and being certified Napa Green creates the most visual and obvious initiatives but they are only a few elements of what we are trying to achieve,” said Jay Schuppert, president of Cuvaison Estate Wines.
Challenge
The staff at Cuvaison respects its wonderful vineyards for shaping the unique expression and style of each wine. This appreciation has grown into a commitment to reduce Cuvaison’s impact on the environment. In 2007, they evaluated solar alternatives and turned to Sunlight Electric for an easy-to-manage, affordable solution. The Cuvaison team wanted an intuitive view of real-time energy production and usage, and the ability to generate the required reports for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
Solution
In November 2008, Cuvaison acquired a solar PV system. The winery is currently a certified “Napa Green” operation, exclusively relying on solar power for its Carneros winery location. Sunlight Electric handled the initial sizing, the rebate applications, the installation, and the ongoing monitoring and support of the installation. Fat Spaniel Technologies monitoring services assist the installer’s support team, and also give Cuvaison complete access to current and historical energy and environmental impact data.
Result
The Cuvaison solar energy monitoring system can be viewed on the company’s website, making the data very accessible and easily shared with its customers and partners. Reports are easily generated, and meet the requirements for independent third-party verification required for CSI rebates. Visibility of its energy behaviors helps the staff evaluate all of the operational activities, and Cuvaison continues to introduce new practices based on the insights they are gaining.
“We continue to look into ways of creating positive change within our own organization,” said Schuppert. “The Fat Spaniel solution helps us be better global citizens-we have browser-based access to easily understandable information and can see where we have room to improve. The introduction of the monitoring technology was very smooth, and it is has quickly become an integral tool for our business.”
Click here to view Cuvaison’s live energy monitoring site.
