Fetzer Gets Wine Industry's Largest Solar System

3 Phases Energy, LLC, and MMA Renewable Ventures, LLC, a subsidiary of Municipal Mortgage & Equity, LLC (MuniMae: NYSE: MMA), announced a collaborative effort to develop the largest solar energy vineyard project in the United States at Fetzer Vineyards. MMA Renewable Ventures, a specialist in innovative renewable energy project finance, and 3 Phases Energy, a renewable energy developer and marketer, will deliver the solar energy system. The 901-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) project will be positioned on the roofs of the bottling facility and Red Wine Barrel Room at Fetzer’s Hopland, California winery. Generating 1.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, the installation will supply 80 percent of the bottling plant’s electricity needs. “As one of the first and only wineries to purchase 100 percent clean power, Fetzer has a long-standing tradition of pioneering environmentally sound business practices,” said Steve Dorfman, Chief Winery Officer for Brown-Forman. “Building one of the largest solar energy arrays in the country as a green power solution is perfectly in line with Fetzer’s business objectives and commitment to sustainability.” The Fetzer solar energy system is the first project to be financed through MMA Renewable Ventures’ solar fund, a vehicle for institutional investment in renewable energy projects nationwide. […]

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