Did you know solar technology costs have fallen by more than 50% since 2015?
As the price of solar technology continues to fall, it’s worth taking a second look at solar for dairies in California. With one of the sunniest climates in the country, and among the nation’s highest electricity rates, solar energy can pay for itself in just a few years.
Solar energy can offer dairies the opportunity to convert vacant or hard-to-farm terrain into power generation facilities that can significantly reduce electricity costs–one of dairy’s largest operating expenses–achieving energy independence and improving cash flow. It’s no wonder more and more dairies are investing in solar energy.
Solar energy isn’t right for every dairy. Where it is right, the economic and environmental benefits can be powerful. The price of solar panels have dipped to all-time lows, and the federal Investment Credit Tax, which provides a 30 percent price reduction in most cases, has been extended through 2020. Some states have additional tax deductions to make solar energy even more attractive.
The basics of whether solar is right for a dairy are in essence the same as for any business. The availability of sunlight, the cost of utility electricity, and the cost of the energy system factor into whether the investment makes business sense.
Net Energy Metering Aggregation (NEMA) has the potential to dramatically accelerate the ROI on solar for dairies in California. Many dairies have widely distributed facilities–with NEMA, a single solar power plant can offset all electricity used by the business, provided the property is contiguous.
Faria Farms built a 2 megawatt solar energy system that delivers power across multiple contiguous properties, taking advantage of California’s Net Metering Aggregation to bundle power for 27 metered facilities, from remote pumps to large buildings.
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Coldwell Solar is the solar company that agricultural and commercial customers trust to make the transition to solar as painless as possible. Founded in 1986, Coldwell Solar is the leading family-owned solar company in California with more than 200 megawatts installed ranging from 500 kilowatts to 3 megawatts. Coldwell Solar stands for superior customer service. We partner with farmers and business owners to help them achieve sustained energy cost savings. In addition to agriculture and commercial customers, Coldwell Solar works with public and private entities to build, operate & maintain utility-scale solar energy systems.
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