Goschie Farms grows hops with solar energy
Oregon continues to grow a strong crop of solar power this year!
This week, a new 17.9 kilowatt (kW) solar electric system was completed at Goschie Farms in Silverton, Oregon. The family-owned and operated hops farm stretches out over nearly 1000 acres (360 acres of hops and 600 acres devoted to vegetable crops, wine grapes, grass and specialty seeds). Each season, the farm produces more than 500,000 pounds of hops, which are then sold to breweries throughout the nation.
Bet you didn’t know you could be drinking “solar-powered” beer soon!
Completing the solar installation was Tanner Creek Energy, based in Portland, Oregon. The solar contractor specializes in both residential and commercial solar panel systems throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Bringing solar energy to the farm is but the latest step in Goschie Farms’ sustainability practices. According to its blog:
Gayle Goschie is the heart and soul of the family’s hop growing operations that hold more than one hundred years of hop farming experience. She has continued to advance the accumulation of knowledge through hands-on research in areas such as low-trellis hop growing and organic hop farming. Gayle’s commitment to sustainable farming has led Goschie Farms to become the first “Certified Sustainable/Salmon Safe” hop farm in the USA. Four years ago she embarked upon a mission to grow hops organically when prevailing wisdom said it could not be done in Oregon.
Solar panels at Goschie Farms help reduce electricity costs in processing hops
A new roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) system consisting of 78 solar panels has been installed on the south-side of the building that is used to harvest and process hops. The PV panels will both defray the farm’s annual electricity costs and reduce its carbon footprint.
Now that’s something to raise a glass for!
Tags: goschie farms, roof mounted PV panels, solar electric system, solar energy, solar farm, tanner creek energy
