Berle Farms produces fresh yogurt, cheese, beef…and electricity!
“As an organic farmer it is important to me to be as naturally sustainable as possible. The new solar system will help us reduce our carbon footprint and save almost $2,000 a year in utility costs.”
Berle Farm – a 600 acre organic farm near the New York-Vermont border that produces fresh yogurt, cheese and beef – just got greener after switching on its 7.74 kW ground-mounted solar electric system in January 2011. Owner Beatrice Berle is a great example of how local businesses can benefit an entire community by investing in clean energy, and can help secure their own future by reducing the amount they’ll spend on electricity for decades.
To help draw attention to this, and to dedicate the system, an event held at Berle Farm was attended by representatives from the U.S. Congress and the USDA (who helped finance the system through a grant). NYSERDA President and CEO Francis J. Murray Jr. also attended (NYSERDA provided grant money for the system as well), and noted that “(NYSERDA’s) incentive programs for renewable energy are helping small businesses like Berle Farm invest in expanding their operations instead of their utility bills.”
Beatrice expects the system to cover 60-70% of her farm’s power needs well into the foreseeable future.
| Size | 7.74 kW | ||
| Production | 9,000 kWh/year | ||
| Solar panels | SunPower 215W (36 panels) | ||
| Mounting | Ground | ||
| Location | Hoosick, NY | ||
| Online since | 2011 |
System offsets:*
| Annual | Lifetime | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pounds of CO2 | 13,682 | 342,050 | ||
| Miles driven | 14,064 | 351,600 | ||
| Trees planted | 159 | 3,975 |
