Windset Farms is a family-run business that has become one of the largest growers and marketers of greenhouse produce in North America. The 128-acre facility in Santa Maria grows many varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers for leading national retailers such as Costco and Trader Joe's. While the company already had water and CO2 recycling, an Integrated Pest Management system, and heat-loss prevention screens at the facility, they were looking to offset energy costs with a solar system.
REC Solar installed the 4,032-panel array on the roof of the farm's shipping and packing building. The system was designed to accelerate the farm's return on investment by maximizing energy production and offsetting consumption when utility electricity rates are highest. To achieve this goal, REC Solar installed a custom racking system combining flush-mounted panels on the western roof face and southern-tilted panels on the eastern roof face to receive optimal sun exposure. The racking system does not penetrate the roof, which will minimize long-term maintenance costs. The 1.05 MW system will save Windset Farms over $245,000 annually on their electricity expenses.