MOCKSVILLE, N.C. -- The sun can do a lot of things, but how about making wine? One North Carolina winery is doing just that thanks to some technology created in Charlotte. It saves the wineries energy and, more importantly, money.
The true lifeline of any good wine is sunlight and that helps grow hearty grapes in the vineyards at RayLen Vineyards and Winery in Mocksville.
In North Carolina's Yadkin Valley, Steve Shepard is not only using the sun to harvest his grapes at RayLen, but using that energy to power his entire business for things like refrigeration, heating and cooling.
"We anticipate a savings of almost 50 percent on the total cost of our energy bills," said Shepard.
RayLen is using an innovative, solar-powered system to lower overhead while filling over 10,000 cases of wine each year.
From growing green grapes to going green, that high-tech, solar power system is being developed in Charlotte at the Sencera Company.
"We literally take glass in our backdoor and when it comes out the other side it's a completed solar module," said Britt Weaver, chief operating officer with Sencera.
Solar panels are made from silicon. The same thing used in computer chips.
The problem with silicon is it is pricey, but Sencera is making a thin-film technology, which makes it cheaper to produce.
"What Sencera does that's different from traditional crystal silicon is we literally use 1/600th the amount of silicon than the traditional solar cell," said Weaver.
And that means it's ideal for businesses like RayLen, which used federal and state incentives to save even more money.
"Some of the government incentive programs to put these things in are attractive, and I guess it doesn't hurt to cut your energy bills, too," said Shepard.
Shepard admits going green at his winery doesn't make the wine more inviting to the palate, but it does help the bottom line easier to swallow.
"It just costs us less to make," said Shepard.
For wine connoisseurs, the finer points will always come down to the wine's color, aroma and taste, but knowing it comes from an eco-friendly vineyard is an added bonus.
"RayLen was a true innovator of solar here in NC," said Weaver.
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