04 May 2011
Valley Fine Foods Installs Solar
System Expected to Help Reduce Company's Electrical Bill by Almost Half
A 483-kilowatt solar energy project recently completed by Stellar Energy for Valley Fine Foods in Benicia, California, is expected to produce enough energy to offset more than one-third of the total energy needs of the food producer.
Stellar Energy is a leading engineering, procurement and construction firm in the renewable energy industry. Valley Fine Foods produces and sells the Pasta Prima brand of high quality, gourmet, filled pasta products, available throughout the United States.
“We estimate that Valley Fine Foods’ new solar system will not only provide one-third of their energy needs, but also save them more than 43 percent on their total energy bill,” said Matt Lugar, vice president of sales for Stellar Energy. “And the estimated length of time for their return on investment will be just five years.”
The new solar system’s estimated first year output of 682,178 kilowatt hours of electricity will prevent the release of approximately 1.1 million pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the equivalent of taking 93.7 passenger vehicles off the road, said Lugar.
“This investment is part of our continual commitment to sustainable manufacturing,” said Pasta Prima President Ryan Tu. “We make every effort to help build and sustain consumer confidence, from our fresh and 100 percent natural ingredients, to use of 100 percent renewable energy in making our products.”
Stellar Energy coordinated installation of the 2,100 Yingli® photovoltaic solar panels, optimizing all usable space on Valley Fine Foods’ 88,000 square-foot roof. The system uses a special type of rack for mounting that minimizes roof attachments and prevents water leaks. It also includes an SMA Sunny Central 500-kilowatt inverter and an internetbased monitoring system to measure performance.
Stellar Energy managed the installation, which took approximately three months, in a way that minimized operational risk and inconvenience to Valley Fine Foods. “We actually had several projects going on simultaneously,” said Tu. “Stellar worked with our schedules, and their crew coordinated with our maintenance team, so there was no disruption to production.”
Stellar Energy’s services include system design, procurement of materials and installation management. The company has provided systems for many other food producers, including Alvarado Street Bakery, Lundberg Family Farms, Hi & Dry Warehouse, Smucker’s Quality Beverages, Foster’s Wine Estates Americas, and many other types of businesses and municipal entities.
About Stellar Energy GP, Inc.
Stellar Energy is one of the nation’s leading solar energy integrators, with complete system design, engineering, procurement and construction management capabilities. With installations spanning government, education and a wide variety of commercial and municipal customers, Stellar’s portfolio of successful projects makes the company one of the top ten solar EPC firms in the nation. Stellar is a subsidiary of Itochu International, Inc., a New York-based global trading company. For more information, please contact Gina Stocker at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , (707) 992- 3215, or visit the Stellar website at StellarEnergy.com.
About Valley Fine Foods
Headquartered in Benicia, Calif., Valley Fine Foods is an independent, family-owned company with a mission to produce healthy, 100 percent natural foods rich with gourmet flavor. Founded in 1984, the company manufactures premium, high-quality filled pastas, selling dozens of varieties at club and grocery stores nationwide and producing private label brands for fine grocers and restaurants. Its Pasta Prima brand of premium quality, handcrafted, filled pasta introduced in 1993 has grown into a complete line of 100 percent natural ravioli and tortellini still made in small batches with only the finest ingredients. For more information, visit pastaprima.com.