JKB supplies 280 kW ag system in West Sacramento

Walnut grower River Oak Orchards expects to cut its PG&E utility costs by 75.8 percent and save over $63,000 every year with the 880 panels it has supported by the Mounting Systems fixed ground mount system.

December 2, 2016 Charles W. Thurston

“Agriculture is as one of the fastest industries to adopt solar in California,” states Chad Cummings, Director of Sales and Marketing for JKB Energy. “We have seen over 200 agricultural businesses make the switch to solar to offset energy costs.”

To increase savings and maximize power production, River Oak utilized Mounting Systems’ Sigma Steel ground mounts to support the project. The mounting system was designed in a shared rail configuration, a technique that decreases the amount of rail material by 25 percent, simplifying logistics and yielding a more cost-effective solution, JKB indicates.

The USDA reckons that a nationwide average of six percent of farm expenses relate directly to energy, and that agriculture represents close to three percent of the U.S. total energy consumption. The solar potential is even higher for crop farming where energy expenses reach nine percent or more for operations including greenhouse nurseries, floriculture, aquaculture, sheep, goat, and beef production.

While 69 percent of direct energy use on farms is not categorized, of the remaining 31 percent, energy to run motors represents 18 percent of overall energy use, and energy use in machinery represents nine percent. Onsite transportation is three percent and lighting is one percent, USDA reports.

JKB Energy is a leader in turnkey agricultural and commercial solar, having installed hundreds of projects and over 100 megawatts of solar throughout California’s central valley and beyond. The company also is a sponsor of the Almond Board of CA and Almond Alliance of CA.

Serving customers in over 50 countries, Mounting Systems has over 23 years of expertise in the market and builds on its 8 GW historic portfolio. Mounting Systems is ISO 9001 certified with US and German offices that offer engineering, logistics, and manufacturing services.

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