PV array built by CalCom Solar facilitates optimized energy use at leading California dairy.

HANFORD, California—Today Congressman David Valadao (R-CA) presided over the dedication of a significant new solar power system in the Central Valley—at Medeiros & Son Dairy. The 1.1MW system was designed and deployed by Visalia-based CalCom Solar, a leader in design-build solar projects for agribusinesses and water districts.

“I’m excited to be here for the dedication of a significant job-creating solar project being deployed in the Central Valley,” said Congressman David G. Valadao. “I am proud to represent a community where businesses like Medeiros & Son Dairy, CalCom Solar, and their partners are committed to innovative projects, especially one such as this that facilitates thoughtful energy and water management. The jobs resulting from the solar industry and PV projects like this are desperately needed in the Central Valley and throughout California as a whole.”

“CalCom Solar’s PV plant is making solar energy work for us, both operationally and financially,” said Brian Medeiros. “The dairy business takes constant evaluation and assessment to ensure our operation is working as efficiently as possible. We’re extremely focused on improving efficiencies across the entire farm, and solar is a crucial tool that delivers tremendous benefits—helping us to reduce our energy costs and improve our triple bottom line.”

“We’re very proud of this project for Medeiros & Son — a leader in sustainable dairying and farming,” noted CalCom Solar CEO, Nic Stover. “By deploying over a megawatt of clean, emissions-free solar-powered generation, they are significantly lowering operational costs, saving approximately $320,000 annually on utility bills. Their PV array helps provide financial certainty and will deliver more than $8 million in utility savings over the next 25 years.”

“CalCom is delighted to be supporting the Central Valley’s economy by spurring local employment with quality solar jobs,” noted Mr. Stover. “There are more than 5,600 solar jobs between Sacramento and Bakersfield. Our Central Valley-based company has grown 700% since 2013, thanks in large part to the federal solar investment tax credit (ITC). Sadly, that credit is due to expire on December 31, 2016.”

“I’m pleased to join Congressman Valadao at the celebration of this exciting project, and applaud Medeiros & Son for their commitment to clean energy,” added CalSEIA executive director Bernadette Del Chiaro. “Farmers, homeowners, schools, and businesses across the Central Valley are saving money by installing solar, and supporting jobs at successful local companies like CalCom. However, all of this is in jeopardy due to the pending expiration of the ITC. Owing to the uncertainty caused by its pending expiration, businesses across the state are already adjusting their plans for project development in 2017. No where is this more pronounced than in agriculture where the long lead times for solar projects means 2016 is right around the corner. We shouldn’t risk a significant slowdown of solar energy by letting the ITC expire.”

The federal investment tax credit is a 30 percent tax credit for solar systems on residential and commercial properties. On December 31, 2016, the ITC declines to 10 percent for commercial installations and completely expires for residential projects. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the ITC has helped annual solar installation grow by over 1,600 percent since the ITC was implemented in 2006.

CalCom worked with NEXTracker, designer and manufacturer of the world’s most advanced PV trackers, to deploy a state-of-the-art solar array optimized to generate maximum energy output and return on investment. CalCom will be breaking ground on more than a dozen new PV projects at farms over the next few months.

In addition to the financial savings, this PV system at Medeiros & Son Dairy helps mitigate climate change by significantly reducing CO2 emissions — the equivalent of burning 1.6 million pounds of coal or using 166,000 gallons of gasoline every year.

About CalCom Solar

CalCom Solar, a leading California-based solar provider serving agriculture and water districts, has extensive expertise in Ag energy/water-use optimization. Our founding team has 35 years of solar experience—delivering tremendous value-add for agriculture and water district customers. For more information, please visit www.calcomsolar.com.

Contact:
559-667-9200
info@calcomsolar.com