Del Dotto Winery in Napa Valley has adopted innovative solar technology, installing four Mechatron Solar dual-axis trackers at its Caves facility on St. Helena Highway. The move is projected to cut the winery’s electric bill by 95%, saving an estimated $3 million in energy costs over the system’s lifespan.
Del Dotto Saves Energy Costs with Mechatron Trackers
Mechatron Solar trackers are known for high energy yields and exceptional reliability, boasting a 99.6% uptime across 90 MW of installations in Europe and North America over the past 15 years. The M18KD tracker generates 40% more energy than ground-mounted arrays and 20% more than single-axis systems, making it highly efficient for terrain-constrained sites like vineyards and carports.
Its single-mast design has the smallest ground footprint in the global solar market. Each tracker supports up to 90 solar panels and yields over 43 kW per mast, with a ground coverage ratio of just 50%. Mechatron’s advanced manufacturing facility now has an annual production capacity of 200 MW.
Solar System Optimizes Land Use at Winery with Mechatron Trackers
The new solar system was installed in a field of 30-year-old vines slated for replacement. The concrete pillar of the M18KD Mechatron tracker occupies just 10 square feet, minimizing its impact on the land. This single-pillar design allows for dual land use, supporting both winery operations and solar energy generation. Critically, most of the shading from the solar panels will fall on a maintenance road between the vine rows.
Mike Burgess, the CFO of Del Dotto, said: “We selected the Mechatron Solar tracker solution because of the minimal amount of landscape it takes up. Scientifically and mechanically, the dual axis is more efficient than the alternative fixed-tilt solar or single-axis solar mounting systems.”
In addition to the Mechatron solar array, Del Dotto is integrating a LynxSystems microgrid to manage energy usage across its locations. The LynxSystems Intelligent EMS (Energy Management System) monitors facility loads and adjusts them based on the capacity of available energy sources.
Del Dotto Enhances Output with Mechatron and Bifacial Panels
Dual-axis trackers offer the highest energy density among solar mounting designs, and the Mechatron M18KD is the largest of its kind, accommodating up to 90 solar panels. Del Dotto’s system output is further enhanced by the inclusion of 550-watt bifacial solar panels, which provide a substantial performance advantage over standard monofacial panels.
The move to Mechatron’s dual-axis technology was also driven by a combination of financial incentives, including federal tax credits, bonuses for U.S.-manufactured systems, and a potential rebate from the green energy provider Marin Clean Energy.
Ted Ronshausen, Commercial Director of the company, said: “We manufacture the M18KD at our Stockton factory in northern California and are proud to be able to say our trackers are Made in America, per 2022 U.S. Treasury IRA Domestic Content Bonus Credit specifications”