Vista Solar announces the completion of a 1.1-MW solar solution for Classic Salads in Watsonville, California. The solar solution at Classic Salads is one the largest ground-mount system in Monterey County. An additional 33.8 kW was also installed at Classic Salads’ Salinas office.
The ground-mount system in Watsonville, which was designed and installed by Vista Solar, is expected to offset Classic Salads’ electricity bill by over 50 percent, and generate more than 1.75 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy each year – that’s equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 30,941 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.
“Solar was a smart move for us financially,” said owner Lance Batistich, “especially with PG &E rates continually on the rise.” Classic Salads is expected to save nearly $190,000 in the first year of operation alone.
“It is rewarding to support the agricultural community with sustainable, renewable energy,” said Vista Solar’s Senior Project Developer Brian Brogan.
With more than 25 years of farming and 15 years of value-added processing experience, Classic Salads has risen to become one of the fastest growing companies in fresh-cut salad industry. Classic Salads specializes in gourmet baby-leaf salads for restaurants and supermarkets, with both organic and conventional varieties.
“Vista Solar was an excellent partner,” said Batistich. “They finished the project on time and on budget.”
The solar energy components for the Watsonville ground-mount system include 3,440 Suniva 325-watt solar panels, SMA Tri-Power inverters, and AP Alternatives racking.