by Shane Henson — April 16, 2012—Cenergy Power, a California-based commercial solar developer, has completed a 586 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system for Hughson Nut Inc. at its 50,000-square-foot almond-processing facility in Hughson, California. Hughson Nut, established in 1985, processes almonds for the confectionary, bakery, cereal, health and snack food industries.
Through the work of Cenergy Power, which is comprised of seasoned professionals in the areas of power quality, power engineering and project financing, Hughson Nut will significantly reduce its environmental footprint and can expect to see substantial energy savings in the near future. The newly constructed 586 kW solar PV system will produce more than 970,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean energy annually for the blanching, dry roasting, and cutting lines for producing sliced, slivered, diced and milled almonds. The company notes that this is equivalent to removing approximately 730 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere or planting 140 acres of pine forest annually.
“Cenergy Power did a great job on an initial 504 kW solar project for a related nut-hulling business over a year ago, so we were very confident in their capabilities on this second solar project,” said Martin Pohl, principal of Hughson Nut. “They were a company of their word, which really helps us meet our dual goals of environmental sustainability while reducing energy costs for the benefit of our growers and partners.”
As part of the solar arrangement, Cenergy Power says it will be providing 10 years of scheduled operations and maintenance for the system, including but not limited to touch-free panel cleanings, preventive maintenance and repair, and overall system warranties.
