Going solar

The sun isn't just helping grow rice at Montna Farms — it is drying the grains, too.

The farming operation has partnered with MMA Renewable Ventures and SolarCity to help get off the grid. Montna Farms, which is one of the largest suppliers of short-grain rice in the United States, plans to supply 65 percent of its energy needs with two acres of solar panels.

Montna Farms' array has been harnessing energy since October, but it will take at least six more months to see how effective the 394-kilowatt system is. The 725,000 kilowatt hours of electricity it should generate will offset energy usage, reduce costs and further the farm's commitment to sustainable farming, according to Nicole Montna Van Vleck.

Going away from the grid was an easy decision, said Van Vleck, managing partner and daughter of owner Al Montna.

"We utilize the sun on a yearly basis to grow our crops," she said. "It takes that just one step further."

A greater driving factor was the purchase and installation required no out-of-pocket expenses and the farm's utility costs are locked at a fixed rate for six years, Van Vleck said.

Through a power purchase agreement, MMA Renewable Ventures provided all the capital outlay for the project, and owns and maintains it. In exchange, it monetizes all the federal tax benefits and credits, said Senior Vice President Bob Hopper.

Montna Farms was the perfect candidate for a solar investment.

"There's definitely a real strong relationship between these agricultural operations and energy conservation," Hopper said.

In addition, Yuba City is geographically blessed with great solar resources, he said.

Tucked away just off Highway 99 in Dingville, the system features 1,970 photovoltaic modules and a single axis tracking system that adjusts to the sun every 15 minutes for maximum efficiency.

Millions of tiny cobalt-blue rectangles soak up the sun's energy as soon as it rises, even on a day when the sun may be hidden behind the clouds.

"It's seamless," said Bill Warnock, director of farming and rice drying. "You don't know that you're doing it."

This time of year, the arrow on the solar meter points left, indicating Montna Farms is generating more power than it uses. During the farm's slow months, from December to August, it builds credits for all the power it generates.

"Then we'll start burning our credits when we start harvest," Warnock said.

It should all balance out, eventually, said Jon Munger, Montna Farms controller.

"It's pretty neat to know you're helping out the environment and at the same time doing something good," Munger said.

By using clean power for rice drying — the farms' largest expenditure of energy — Montna Farms is helping offset 750,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

The farm can purchase the system in about five years for half the cost of its installation, roughly $1.8 million, Van Vleck said.

But it will be a bit longer before Montna Farms finally sees zero cost, utility or otherwise. On average, it takes about 20 years to recoup the initial investment.

The farm is in no hurry.

"From a sustainability standpoint, we try to make decisions at Montna Farms that will make sense not only this year but 25 years, 50 years down the road," Van Vleck said.

Montna Farms is not the first to use solar power in the area and likely will not be the last. The Yuba City's wastewater treatment plant is powered by 3.6 acres of solar panels and Riverbend Elementary School has a 300-kilowatt solar array.

Montna Farms by the numbers

2 acres the array occupies

15 minutes between array adjustments

65 percent of farm’s elecricity needs supplied by array

1,970 conversion modules in solar array

725,000 kilowatt hours of annual electricity provided by array

750,000 pounds of CO2 offset annually

50 million pounds of rice Montna Farms dries annually

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ashley Gebb at 749-4724 or agebb@appealdemocrat.com