(Wines&Vines) - Hunt Country Vineyards, recipient of the New York Geothermal Energy Organization’s 2015 TOP JOB designation for a geothermal project that provides 100% of the winery’s heating and cooling needs, is about to install a 109kW (kilowatt) solar PV (photovoltaic) system. Fox Run Vineyards began installation of a 50kW solar power array next to the winery’s production facility in Penn Yan, N.Y., in May, and Lakewood Vineyards in Watkins Glen, N.Y., added a 47kW solar system this spring.

Other New York wineries preparing to add solar power to their facilities include Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars in Hammondsport, Wagner Vineyards in Lodi and Eagle Crest Vineyards in Conesus. And these are only a few of the state’s wineries that have installed or are planning to add solar power to their facilities.

What has inspired New York wineries to “go green”?

Going green makes good business sense for New York wineries, and the industry enjoys widespread commitment to environmental sustainability. However, there are more complex reasons behind the trend. Part of the shift is due to the availability of financing for clean energy projects, including existing New York state programs that help with financing renewable energy, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has shown interest in reforming New York’s energy industry and regulatory practices. Additionally, some members of the New York wine industry have actively opposed hydraulic fracturing and the storage of gas in salt caverns on the shores of Seneca Lake near Watkins Glen. (See “Drilling Concerns in the Finger Lakes” and “Can Wine and Natural Gas Coexist?”) And a significant factor is the presence of Suzanne Hunt, president of HuntGreen LLC (which provides strategic advice about energy, agriculture, transportation and the environment), who is serving as educator, facilitator and resident expert on renewable energy.