electric flowers capture sunlight for a california vineyard

A remote landscape yields its own power

A field of 'Electric Sunflowers' blooms in the rolling hills of northern California. sda photo

Location: CA USA Client: Private Use: Energy for a country residence with a hillside vineyard and PV power for irrigation.

Background:
A private client wanted to use solar energy to power their country residence and vineyard in the hilly wine country above the Napa Valley in northern California.

They retained SDA with a few key requirements: the system had to be efficient and enjoyable to look at --- if it could also be “fun” – so much the better!

Special Features:
We proposed a large array of “Electric Sunflowers” on the steep, south-sloping hillside at the northern end of their property.

• The sunflowers track the sun from sunrise to sunset and then, return in unison to await the dawn.
• Tracking enhances the solar harvest while creating what the clients refer to as a “hillside of kinetic art”.
• The necessary power electronic components are located in “Power Kiosks” which are sprinkled throughout the multi-acre array field.

Outcome:
A beautiful array of Electric Sunflowers provides this client with solar power for all their requirements, including vineyard irrigation.

Solar Design Associates was responsible for the project on a turnkey basis. This included

• design, engineering and construction documents
• permit approval and hardware procurement
• construction and systems commissioning.

Sunflower's underside shows its manmade origins
sda photoDetails
The steep hillside faces due south, providing maximum solar access. However, the slope of the hill when mixed with torrential rain results in what civil engineers call "subsidence" and what we more commonly refer to as "mudslides."

Our design response for the solar collectors was to create a field of pedestal mounted solar trackers. A single pipe support for each tracker is set into a deep footing keeping the arrays in place despite the instability of the soils. This solution was chosen instead of a single support structure with multiple foundation points because this more conventional approach would not allow for movement as the soil below shifted.

The trackers follow the sun as it rises in the east until it sets below the western horizon. The solar trackers then return to the east, awaiting the dawn. Because each tracker moves along two axes, the solar harvest is increased by up to 25% compared to a stationary mounted array.

Solar Design Associates was responsible for the project on a turnkey basis including design, engineering and construction documents as well as permit approval and hardware procurement, through construction and systems commissioning.

Solar Design Associates has a gift for envisioning energy and power in places where there were none before.

Whether you have a sunny California hillside or an island in the Bahamas with no connection to the grid, SDA engineers will work with you to dream and design energy systems that serve your imagination, as well as your energy needs.

Contact us for further information about SDA.
We would be pleased to discuss your project ideas and to provide case examples and references.