Pfeiffer Vineyards – 1st Oregon Winery to go Solar

Project Description

“Established in 1983, Pfeiffer Vineyards is one of the oldest vineyards in Oregon. A premium vineyard in the Willamette Valley showcasing 70 acres of consistently high quality pinot noir, pinto gris, chardonnay and muscat, we are also a “green” facility. Pfeiffer Winery is one of the first wineries in the state to go completely solar. Visit our winery and see the solar panels proudly adorning the roof of our facility, making the house, the winery and the tasting room run by the sun. We offer high-end, low production, hand-crafted wines not sold in stores or restaurants. They are only available to our clients through our website, our tasting room and our wine club.”

In November, 2008 Pfeiffer Vineyards in partnership with Advanced Energy Systems activated a 27.3 KW Solar Electric System, the first recorded for an Oregon Winery. The system utilizes (122) high efficiency Sharp 224 watt modules. The modules are mounted on a custom Uni Rac flush rack system. The power from the modules is routed through (4) SMA 5000 and (1) SMA 6000 inverters before connecting to the grid. The system provides nearly 100% of the energy used at the vineyards. The net metering agreement with Blatchly-Lane credits Pfeiffer Vineyards when production is in excess of usage.

The PV System is monitored via a DECK monitoring system to track energy production and environmental benefits over time. Over its lifetime the system will save/offset an equivalent amount of energy as 800 tons of CO2, 81,800 gallons of gasoline, or 2,400 trees.