Historic Napa Valley Restaurant Now Powered by the Sun
Novato-based SolarCraft announced the completion of a solar electric generating system at Farmstead Restaurant in St. Helena, CA. A property of the historic Long Meadow Ranch in the Napa Valley, the restaurant is now powered by clean, green energy.
The restaurant installed solar energy to further their sustainable business practices and stabilize rising electricity costs. The solar electric system is roof mounted on the restaurant and neighboring nursery buildings, covering 2,710 square feet of roof space. The system consists of a combination of (195) Mitsubishi 185 watt, (15) Mitsubishi 180 watt and (88) SunPower 230 watt solar panels that power the restaurant with free energy from the sun. The new solar energy system is expected to generate 65,973 kilowatt hours annually, in addition to an existing 60 kW ground mount system powering the commercial facility and the Ranch's main residence.
The new system will generate enough clean electricity each day to power 28 average homes. It will spare the air nearly 49 tons of harmful greenhouse gases annually, comparable to the air-filtering power of 10 acres of trees. Over the next 30 years, the air pollution saved will be equivalent to driving over 3.4 million miles. The system will pay for itself in approximately 6 years.
About Farmstead Restaurant
Farmstead Restaurant showcases ingredients from local purveyors, featuring Long Meadow Ranch's all-natural grass-fed beef, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, and honey. Farmstead Restaurant is housed in a former nursery barn, the 110-seat restaurant is a casual, social culinary hub revolving around a central open kitchen with booth and central seating, community dining, and a full bar.
