83 Vallecitos Road (CA Hwy 84)

Livermore, CA

(925) 447-5246

Tasting Room Open  Fri., Sat., and Sun. 12-5 PM

(April, 2008)  The next time you visit Fenestra Winery on Vallecitos Road in Livermore, you may notice a new addition to their property, sunbathing on the winery’s rooftop.  Fenestra has become the first winery in the Livermore Valley to convert to solar energy for its entire operation.

Solar City, from Foster City, installed the 96 panels on the south side of Fenestra’s roof during the week of April 7th.  The system passed all inspections by the City of Livermore and is waiting for certification by PG&E.  If all goes well, Fenestra is expected to be completely converted and running by the middle of May.

“We didn’t have to change the electrical system at all,” says Fenestra’s owner, Lanny Replogle, “we have four inverters to convert DC to AC power, and a separate unit to control the flow and monitor the usage.  We can also monitor that online.”

The projected return on investment is in 5 to 6 years, while the system is estimated to cover 75-85% of all the winery’s energy usage.  Solar City also gave a projected forecast of the environmental benefits over the next 25 years.  They estimated the system would help Fenestra save 1,077,576 lbs of carbon dioxide (the leading cause of greenhouse gases), 3,458 lbs of nitrogen oxides (which creates smog), and 3,130 lbs. of sulfur dioxide (the cause of acid rain).

“They really look neat,” says co-owner, Fran Replogle, “they almost look like part of the roof!”  Some visitors haven’t even noticed the panels upon their arrival to the winery and are surprised when they finally do see them.

The winery building has definitely seen its share of technological changes since its construction in 1889.  It first started as a winery, and was abandoned during the prohibition period in the 1920’s.  It was rented out as a winery again in 1941, until the Replogles leased the property in 1980 and restored it to its full glory, adding a new roof and constructing 3 new massive walls that had previously collapsed from neglect over the years.  The newer, sturdier roof now holds the solar panels to the sun for the winery to shine proudly.

Solar City is located at 393 Vintage Park Dr. Ste. #140 in Foster City, 94404.  Visit them at www.solarcity.com or 1-888-Sol-City.