Taylor Farms unique alternative energy system - Smart Energy Decisions

Demand Management, Distributed Energy Resources, Industrial, Distributed Generation, Solar, Wind  -  April 14, 2017

Taylor Farms deploys cogen, wind, solar project

The above photo, provided by Taylor Farms, shows an overview of the three-part renewable and alternative energy system recently installed at Taylor Farms' Gonzales, Calif., facility 

Taylor Farms, a leading fresh fruit and vegetable producer, has deployed unique, three-part renewable and alternative energy project at a California processing plant that is expected to offset more than 90% of the facility's energy use. 

The Gonzales, Calif., facility will utilize wind, solar and cogeneration energy systems, making it the first advanced system of its kind in the agriculture industry, Taylor Farms said in an April 13 news release.  Combined, the systems generate 4.25 MW of energy onsite, which will be utilized to run the 192,000-square-foot fresh vegetable processing plant.

According to the company, the project will generate enough power to operate 100 % of operations at times, but on average, the three systems will offset energy usage by more than 90%. 

The majority of the energy offset — 62% — is expected to come from the natural gas powered cogeneration system, which was installed in April. The wind turbine, installed in November 2014, is a 1-MW GE wind turbine that has produced an annual energy offset of 16%. The 1 MW solar array, consisting of 3,578 panels, was installed in July 2016 with an annual energy offset of 10%.

Taylor Farms said that with the use of natural gas and onsite energy production, this system is 21% cleaner than a utility grid. The company partnered with REC Solar, Foundation Wind Power and Concentric Power on the project. 

"I couldn't be more excited about the progress Taylor Farms is making to expand our sustainability program," Nicole Flewell, Taylor Farms' director of sustainability said in a statement. "The investment that has been put forth to elevate this program is proof of the shared commitment companywide."


« Back to Energy Management

  • LinkedIn
  • Subscribe

Smart Energy Decisions Content Partners