Suncoast Organic Farm Bakery in Hollister, California is working toward greater energy independence by powering its home and part of its bakery and brewery with a fifty-six panel solar array and battery system. The owners, David and Lisa Jensen, built their timber frame home to operate fully off the grid and connected their broader farm operations to solar in order to control costs and avoid frequent utility disruptions. Their system currently provides all power for the home and about forty percent of the energy needed for refrigeration, brewing equipment, irrigation pumps and other farm demands.
Running an off-grid setup requires constant tracking of power generation, battery levels, and the timing of high demand tasks. The Jensens schedule irrigation and other heavy loads during peak sunlight and continually fine tune how equipment cycles on and off. They plan to expand their system with more panels and improved batteries, which have become far cheaper since their first installation. Without solar, they estimate their monthly utility bill would be unmanageable, making the renewable setup essential for keeping the bakery and farm in operation.
