Sonoma winery harnesses wind power
CHRISTOPHER CHUNG/The Press Democrat Jonas Energy Solutions personnel guide a 45-foot wind turbine as a crane lifts it into place at Anaba Winery, near Sonoma , on Thursday. With adequate wind, the turbine produces enough power for a standard three-bedroom, two-bathroom, residential home.
Plenty of North Coast wineries turn to the sun for power, but a Sonoma winery buffeted by coastal breezes appears to be the first in Northern California to harness the wind to make wine.
Anaba winery on Thursday installed a 45-foot-tall wind turbine that is expected to cut in half the power bills of its renovated tasting room and winery site southwest of Sonoma.
“I'm amazed that this is the first one,” said owner John Sweazey, a retired real estate lender who got into the wine business several years ago. “I'm sure Fred Cline's looking and this thing and saying, ‘Darn, why didn't I think of that?'”
Cline is the owner of Cline Cellars, one of a number of wineries located in a wind corridor known as the Petaluma Wind Gap. Coastal breezes pour in across the Petaluma plain and are funneled through the gap in the Sonoma Mountains where Stage Gulch Road runs.
Fortunately for installers, there was no breeze Thursday when a crane slowly tipped the delicate device into place. Its gray blades resembled a massive exotic orchid soaring above nearby palm trees.
The curved blades narrow to a sharp point to reduce the drag, making them far quieter than similar models.
“This sounds like the rustling of leaves in a tree,” said installer Craig Wooster.
Sweazey conducted a study for the project that showed winds in the area, particularly in the spring and summer, regularly reach 20 to 25 mph. While they can wreak havoc on outdoor events, Sweazey has chosen to embrace the breezes, even naming his winery after the “anabatic winds” that rise up and over the Sonoma Mountains to the west.
The turbine won't be helping making wine right away. First, it will power the tasting room, saving about $200 per month. Eventually, it will help power the winemaking equipment and refrigeration units at the 60,000-case winery planned for the site. If all goes well, Sweazey expects to add several more turbines to a facility that will include a large solar array.
The turbine is a Skysteam 3.7 manufactured by Southwest Windpower, Inc. of Flagstaff, Ariz. When wind is blowing 26 mph, it produces 2,600 watts, or enough to power 26 100-watt light bulbs, said Russ Jonas, owner of Jonas Heating and Cooling of Lake County, which installed the unit.
While that's not enough power to fully offset a typical home's peak usage, at lower usage times, like nighttime, power can be put back into the grid, where it is purchased by PG&E to offset the owner's annual power bill, Jonas said.
The system costs around $20,000, which is cut in half when state and federal incentives are included, Jonas said. There's about a seven-year return on investment for a typical users, Jonas said.
Despite the incentives, wind turbines haven't taken off in the county for many reasons, Jonas said.
Sonoma County has numerous microclimates, and only a few have winds steady enough to make them suitable locations for turbines, Jonas said.
The strength of the solar industry also makes it hard for wind to compete.
In addition, the permitting process for wind turbines is strict, costing more and taking longer than other counties. Sweazey estimates he spent $1,600 on permits for the system.
“The permitting process is much more stringent than solar and it adds unnecessary costs to the job,” he said.
No public opposition or hearings held up the 45-foot tower, which is allowed under the county's 2002 ordinance. In some cases, towers up to 80 feet are permitted.
Sweazey said he chose a more modest system because he didn't want it to be larger than surrounding trees or become a visual impact on the area, which sits at one of the busiest intersections in the Sonoma Valley.
He also chose the model because he said it's got style.
“It'll admit, it has a little sex appeal,” Sweazey said. “I didn't want a monstrous prop that looked like something off an old B-52 bomber.”
He plans to install a monitor in the tasting room showing visitors how the turbine is working, and there may be more in his future.
“This time next year we'll either have taken it down or have six of them,” Sweazey said.