Good Fruit Grower

November 2015

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www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER NOVEMBER 2015 19 and having the opportunity to decrease our carbon foot- print, which is worthwhile even if other potential benefi ts don't pan out." Those savings were most evident during the cold win- ter months, but also helped keep costs in check during the summer. The savings have helped offset increased power costs associated with rising production, effectively allowing Orofi no to expand production more effi ciently. Hamilton Cellars Rising electricity costs are also an issue in Washington State. Russ Hamilton, co-owner of Hamilton Cellars on Red Mountain in Washington State pays about nine cents a kilowatt hour for the power delivered to his business. It's more expensive than in Grant County, which draws power from two hydroelectric dams, but cheaper than neighboring Richland, where the local utility charges 15 cents a kilowatt hour, and the supercharged 25 cents a kilowatt hour levied in California. But with upgrades to make dams more effi cient and fi sh-friendly, Hamilton expects costs to rise more. A year ago, he paid $130,000 to install a 33-kilowatt array consisting of 121 solar panels atop his winery that will effectively reduce his power bill to nothing more than the $17 monthly meter charge. In some seasons, the system even returns power to the local grid. "I have installed enough panels to be what's called net-zero, so that I should break even and actually not pay anything on electricity in the course of the year," he said. A federal Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) grant covered a quarter of the project costs. Combined with other incentives, it signifi cantly reduced the project's payback period. "[It's] about a four and a half year payout, and that's in the middle of the cheapest electricity in the country," he said. Other programs are possible that may increase the appeal of the alternative power systems. Washington Governor Jay Inslee recently directed the State Department of Ecology to develop a cap on carbon emissions statewide and is open to state incentives to support alternative power generation. Still, Hamilton acknowledges that not everyone is willing to undertake a six-fi gure investment. "With a lot of these grants, you have to pay and then you get credited later," Hamilton said. "People wouldn't want to go out and borrow money just to wait for the federal monies to come in." • John Weber says his winery's solar power system has reduced its use of power from the grid by 24 percent. Growers & Fruit Industry Truck Buyers. . . Partner up with your GMC Business Elite Dealer Lee Peterson Motors Every dollar counts in the ag business, and you need hard working trucks from a reliable dealer you can trust, your GMC Business Elite Dealer. 410 S. First Street • Yakima • 509-575-6372 L P MOTORS .com www Click! Drive! Save! MON-FRI 8 AM - 6 PM SAT 8 AM - 5 PM SUN 11 AM - 4 PM Business Elite Dealer. 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab Standard Box Rich Ausink Fleet Manager Jim Peterson General Manager The right truck customized to your specific agricultural businees needs. rich@lpmotors.com jim@lpmotors.com Bleyhl Farm Service 1/3 block Color 1st Trio_NOV 2015 Bleyhl's orchard & vineyard specialists bring professional sales & service direct to the farm, with quality products at competitive pricing. From Canada to California, It pays to get to know them. Ben Goroch 509-778-2985 Wenatchee & areas north Joel DeLeon 509-781-0503 Yakima Valley & Horse Heaven Darrel Rogers 509-531-4651 Pasco & Walla Walla Ned Rhode 509-781-1704 Royal Slope & Mattawa Noe Gonzalez 509-840-4706 Sunnyside-Toppenish Ryan Tyrrell 509-952-8911 Yakima-Naches & Ellensburg Shawn Olivarez 509-302-3321 Milton-Freewater & the Columbia Gorge Visit us @ the WA Grape Society *Nov 12-13, Grandview, WA

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