Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/1019591
46 WINES&VINES September 2018 WINEMAKING PRACTICAL WINERY & VINEYARD not blowing, Scheid is drawing energy from PG&E. When the turbine is operating, the energy that is not used from PG&E remains in the utility grid and Scheid receives credits from Foundation Windpower at the same rate that PG&E would have billed Scheid during that time period. Maintenance is included in the Power Pur- chase Agreement, and costs range from 3% to 5% of the total installation cost of $4 million to $5 million. "Foundation Windpower is monitor- ing the turbine generation remotely 24/7," Lewis says. If there is an issue, we have a team of technicians available to access and repair any problem. Preventive maintenance is also per- formed throughout the life of the turbine." Windfall in savings The turbine went online Sept. 15, 2017. Based on a wind-energy savings analysis from Scheid for the period from September 2017 through January 2018, Scheid has realized $28,854 in energy savings via the wind turbine. A full year, however, is required to determine the reduc- tion in PG&E demand charges. "After evaluating our electrical cost savings from the wind turbine project and due to the growth in our business, comparing year-over- year costs is not reflective of the savings from wind-power utilization," says Tony Stephen, Scheid Family Wines chief planning officer. "Based on current performance, we estimate electricity savings from the turbine to exceed $50,000 per year." In keeping with its sustainability practices, the cost to replant the 6 acres of Pinot Noir vines that were ripped out for the turbine in- stallation was $3,500 per acre, including ma- terials—because Scheid reused the original trellis and end posts. Industrialization and wildlife coexisting Before construction, Foundation Wind- power conducted an analysis that included potential impact of the turbine on birds and other wildlife, plants and aesthetics (scenic vistas, intact landscapes and scenic routes), using data from Ventana Wildlife Society, Cali- fornia Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cali- fornia Natural Diversity Database, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Native Plant Society's Electronic Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants. At a time when the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 is turning 100, the industrialization of landscapes is top of mind. Turbines–as well as oil spills and power lines–can pose a threat, especially to birds. In the Salinas Valley, the king of birds is the federally endangered California condor. There are roughly 90 birds in Central California, according to Mike Stake, senior wildlife biologist for Ventana Wildlife Society in Monterey County. Ventana is credited with the successful recovery of the breeding population of bald eagles in Central California and cur- rently is doing the same for the condors. "I visited the [Scheid] site several years ago, and based on my opinion about the condors' potential to collide with these structures, I recommended that Foundation Windpower do a study," Stake recalls. While Stake says that collision is a problem for golden eagles at some wind facilities, concerns over condors have intensified because of their large size. The California condor is North America's largest land bird, with a wingspan of 9.5 feet. Adults weigh approximately 22 pounds. Their size— coupled with the valley's propensity toward high winds and fog—could compromise their ability to navigate these turbine structures. The California condor range in Central California includes the Carmel Highlands on the north, San Simeon on the south, and ex- tends east across the Salinas Valley to Pinnacles National Park in the Gabilan Range of San Benito and Fresno counties. This rugged ter- rain gives them the uplift they need to sustain flight. Although the Salinas Valley is not con- sidered ideal condor habitat, they regularly fly across the valley to the ranges on either side, Industry-funded research through the AMERICAN VINEYARD FOUNDATION leads to more economical grapegrowing, and your support makes it happen. Industry-funded research through the AMERICAN VINEYARD FOUNDATION leads to more economical grapegrowing, and your support makes it happen. For a wealth of useful viticulture and enology research and information, visit AVF.org, ngr.ucdavis.edu, asev.org, or graperesearch.org AMERICAN VINEYARD FOUNDATION • P.O. Box 5779, Napa, CA, 94581 • tel (707) 252-6911 Visit our Web site at www.avf.org for information on funding and current research projects For a wealth of useful viticulture and enology research and information, visit AVF.org, ngr.ucdavis.edu, asev.org, or graperesearch.org AMERICAN VINEYARD FOUNDATION • P.O. Box 5779, Napa, CA, 94581 • tel (707) 252-6911 Visit our Web site at www.avf.org for information on funding and current research projects Conservative estimates place mealybug management costs to growers in the range of $200 - $500 per acre. Effective control strategies have been developed through research by Kent Daane, Jocelyn Millar, Rodrigo Almeida and Monica Cooper, providing growers with: • guidance to pesticide efficacy and application timing • discovery of the value of ant control for mealybug suppression • synthesization of a commercialized mealybug mating pheromone, and more… Our better understanding of mealybug virus transmission, along with the methods developed for tracking and treatment, have now given our growers effective control practices. AVF-funded research drives our industry into the future while saving our farmers money now. Conservative estimates place mealybug management costs to growers in the range of $200 - $500 per acre. Effective control strategies have been developed through research by Kent Daane, Jocelyn Millar, Rodrigo Almeida and Monica Cooper, providing growers with: • guidance to pesticide efficacy and application timing • discovery of the value of ant control for mealybug suppression • synthesization of a commercialized mealybug mating pheromone, and more… Our better understanding of mealybug virus transmission, along with the methods developed for tracking and treatment, have now given our growers effective control practices. AVF-funded research drives our industry into the future while saving our farmers money now. Doctors Kent Daane and Monica Cooper