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Redwood
Hill Farm, a member of the
Sebastopol Chamber, is an
award-winning, Humane Certified, Grade A
goat dairy farm and creamery located in
Sonoma County, California. Family owned and
operated for over 40 years, they are
committed to making the best tasting and
least processed goat milk,
artisan goat milk cheese,
yogurt and
kefir.
In order to stabalize future energy costs
consistent with their efforts aimed
at achieving environmental excellence,
Redwood Hill Farm is beginning construction
of a 586 kW DC solar project.
Solar
energy to run creamery will offset fuels
costs used to distribute products. 
Entreprenur and pioneer cheesemaker Jennifer
Lynn Bice has been concerned with the carbon
footprint used to distribute her natural
goat milk products to customers around the
country who want them.
"Because fewer people consume goat milk
products as compared to cow dairy, it is
important for us to have a wider geographic
area of distribution to be able to do what
we love and be a viable business", explains
Bice, owner of the 42 year old Sebastopol
business. "By installing our solar system we
will offset in a much greater percentage the
transportation costs of distributing our
goat milk, cheese, yogurt and kefir. This is
very important to us."
Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery has hired a
local firm, "One
Sun", for design and installation of the
586 kW DC solar system which will use 2,548
Silikin 230 kW solar modules, made in
California. One Sun has selected the highest
quality components in the industry ranging
from PV powered 260 kW inverters with a 10
year warranty, to the redundant disconnects
allowing maximum flexibility and
accessibility to shut off portions of the
array if needed.
Making a positive impact
When complete in September, the project will
encompass nearly two acres of roof space and
is calculated to produce 810,840 kWh to
supply
100% of the projected energy needs of the
creamery. The CO2 reduced
annually is equal to 110 acres of trees
saved, 54 cars off the road or 76 homes
powered. A local Sonoma County business,
One Sun has designed and/or installed large
photovoltaic systems around the Bay Area.
Protecting the environment and preserving
agricultural open space has been a constant
focus and commitment for Redwood Hill Farm &
Creamery.
A solar hot water system installed at the
family dairy a few years earlier cut propane
usage by 75 percent.
The
42-year-old family-owned company employs 45
people and produces organic goat milk
products including artisan cheeses, yogurt
and kefir from goats bred and raised on its
own local dairy. Due to a thriving yet
relatively small customer base for its niche
products, the company must cover a large
geographic area to distribute its products.
"Like a lot of people, we're concerned about
climate change. We've always been concerned
about how much energy we're using to make
our products," said Jennifer Bice, the
company's owner and cheese maker. "We'd love
to be able to ship our products by train,
but we don't see a solution to this yet.
Switching our whole creamery to solar will
help mitigate the fact that we have to
transport our products to distant areas."
To join the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce,
click
HERE!
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