Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/56967
MANAGEMENT By Ted Rieger, senior feature editor for Wine Industry Applications Fuel Cells Sonoma vineyard operation taps into an efficient, eco-friendly power source tone Edge Farm, a 17-acre property with an organic vine- yard in Sonoma, Calif., uses a 5-kilowatt (kW) fuel cell to help power the farm's well pumping and irrigation system to improve energy efficiency and reduce the farm's car- bon footprint. Stone Edge Farm has 5 acres of vineyards planted to cab- ernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec, used to produce wines under the Stone Edge Farm label. The farm also produces olives for olive oil, and grows organic vegetables for restaurants. All production is certi- fied organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Michael Bartlett oversees Stone Edge Farm's energy operations and facility management. The farm has moved toward clean, self-generation and renewable energy technologies in keeping with its sustainable man- agement goals. Bartlett said, "In the process of planning and designing a PV solar array (23 kW) on the roof of our new equipment storage shed, we found out about the ClearEdge5 fuel cell, and realized it would also be a good fit for our operation." The 5 kW fuel cell went online in January 2011. Based on the results of its operation to date, Stone Edge is considering installing another 10 kW fuel cell to increase the farm's onsite generation capacity. FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY/ OPERATION The earliest fuel cells, in con- cept, date to 1839. The first practi- cal fuel cells were developed for the U.S. space program beginning in the 1960s to power space craft for NASA's Gemini mission, and fuel cell use continued through the space shuttle program. AT A GLANCE Fuel cells can provide an efficient and reliable source of onsite electric power while reducing a facility's carbon footprint. Commercial fuel cell units are available from manufacturers, ranging in power from 5 kilowatts to 400 kilowatts. Stone Edge Farm uses a 5 kW fuel cell to power well pumping and irrigation systems. Utility incentive programs and tax credits are available to offset costs for purchase and installa- tion of fuel cell systems. Fuel cell technology powers the irrigation system at Stone Edge Farm in Sonoma. 68 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT MAR - APR 2012 WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM