Hilltop Ranch in Ballico harnesses sun's energy

For 30 years, Dave and Christine Long have been processing almonds at their Hilltop Ranch in Ballico.

Now the Longs have invested in a system that will do more than just help their ag business. It will bring money back to them in the future.

It's solar energy.

Dave Long said he and his wife spent the past three years deciding what to do to make their ranch more sustainable and green. They decided solar would be the way.

"The energy we save with the solar panels will be like taking 258 cars off the road for 25 years," Long said.

The Longs' ranch buys almonds from all over the state and ships to more than 65 countries. This year, Dave Long estimates the ranch will ship about 60 million pounds of almonds.

The solar panels will replace 78 percent of the electrical needs at the ranch, Long said.

The panels are dual tracking, which means they follow the sun.

"In the morning, the panels are nearly vertical," Long said. "They wake up before the sun comes up, and in the middle of the day they are leaned way back, trying to follow the sun."

Bob Hansen of JKB Energy in Turlock was in charge of putting in the solar system at Hilltop.

"There are good incentives for people to use solar panels," Hansen said. There's an incentive paid by the utilities -- for the next 15 years Hilltop will get 15 cents from PG&E for every kilowatt hour they produce.

The U.S. Treasury will also give a grant for 30 percent of the cost of the solar panels, paid within 60 days of the system going live.

"Using solar panels is like spinning your meter backwards," Hansen said.

Reporter Carol Reiter can be reached at (209) 385-2486 or creiter@mercedsun-star.com.

This story was originally published April 17, 2010 at 1:14 AM with the headline "Hilltop Ranch in Ballico harnesses sun's energy."