Solar Power for Mustards Grill in Napa, CA

Background

Mustards Grill was a pioneer in fine dining in the Napa Valley when it was opened in 1983 by renowned chef Cindy Pawlcyn, and it hasn’t looked back. The eatery is always on the forefront of the dining world, including being among the first to embrace “farm to table” dining and to invest in sustainability best practices.

“My sustainability practices started a long time ago,” Cindy said. “Bringing a solar system is the next step in our business to make it as sustainable as possible.”

The restaurant features a two-acre organic garden and a state-of-the-art water reclamation facility. The Mustards Grill team was recently selected to be the restaurant at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a world leader in sustainable seafood, and Cindy’s Waterfront is now open at the famed aquarium.

Why Solar?

Mustards Grill had a vacant four-acre parcel, and the owners wanted to make the best possible use of the land. With a long-standing commitment to sustainability, they decided to explore investing in a solar energy system that would have the dual benefits of cutting electricity costs and reducing the restaurant’s carbon footprint.

“Solar just makes sense both from a sustainability standpoint and a business standpoint,” said Mustards managing partner Sean Knight.

Why Coldwell Solar?

“Our goal in everything we do is to do it at the highest level of quality possible,” Sean said. ”We found the perfect partner for our solar installation in Coldwell Solar. They share an exceptional commitment to quality and attention to the smallest detail, and that’s exactly the kind of company we want to do business with.”

Mustards Grill interviewed seven companies before making a decision on a solar contractor. “What set Coldwell apart was the company’s workmanship and reputation,” Sean said. “We visited several installations and talked with their customers. Coldwell’s customers all had the same things to say about the quality of their solar power solutions, the professionalism and responsiveness of the team, the performance of the systems, and the proactive post-installation monitoring and maintenance.”

Ongoing Partnership

Mustards Grill selected Coldwell and now has a 170-kilowatt solar energy system that powers all of the restaurant’s operations, including an on-site water reclamation system. “Our net energy costs are now zero,” Sean said. “We couldn’t be happier.”

“One of my favorite ‘ah-ha’ moments about the whole solar process came when our PG&E meter went backwards,” said Cindy. “I thought, ‘I really like this!’”

“The installation process was as near painless as it can get,” Sean said. “Coldwell handled the relationship with our local utility company, PG&E, and ensured that all the paperwork was completed and that our system came online as scheduled.”

“Coldwell Solar did everything they said they would do, and more,” Sean said. “Owner Dave Hood visited our site on a Sunday and wasn’t happy with the alignment of the panels, so he sent his team out to make them perfect. That’s the kind of commitment to quality and attention to detail that we strive for in our business.”

“When the connection was made and the meter started running backwards, we knew that this was the smartest decision we could have made,” Sean said.