Transitioning to Solar Power
We installed a solar power system in 2022 with the expert help of Rhino Renewables…
Since 2019, Gwen and Jay have provided Western North Carolina with affordable, medicinal, and nutritious mushrooms through Black Trumpet Farms. Gwen and Jay wanted to create a more sustainable energy usage plan for their indoor mushroom farm as their business requires specific temperature, humidity, and lighting control to produce the highest quality mushrooms. Because this model requires more intensive energy use than growing outdoors, Black Trumpet Farms made the decision to go solar to offset their electricity bills and reduce their environmental impact.
Black Trumpet Farms hired Rhino Renewables to be their all-in-in electrical and solar contractor. Rhino Renewables wired their mushroom growing facility for all the lights, outlets, equipment, filters, hvac, refrigerators, fruiting chambers, wash stations etc. And, of course, the 14.45 KW of Solar.
Due to the mushroom facility being an agricultural building under new construction, Rhino Renewables had to work within the permitting and zoning regulations to get a specialty trade permit pulled for solar and electrical. As agricultural buildings in Buncombe county do not require standard building permits, unlike a residential or commercial building would, there was no building permit to be pulled when it was time to wire the building.
Mushrooms are very finicky to grow. They are very susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity. The team at Rhino had to come up with a backup power solution for the mushroom growing facility in case the grid ever went down. For a facility of this size and with the power demands required, batteries would be very expensive, therefore coming to a more financially feasible solution of installing a 36 kw Generac generator. This allows Black Trumpet to reap the financial and environmental benefits of solar when the grid is normally functioning while also protecting their agricultural investment of growing mushrooms when the grid is down. A win-win for Black Trumpet Farms and the environment!
The Result
After having solar installed for an entire year, Gwen and Jay at Black Trumpet Farms have reached their initial goals of becoming more energy independent and saving on their utility bills needed to power their mushroom farm. Incentives made the decision for Gwen and Jay to go solar easy and pain-free. Not only did Black Trumpet Farms benefit from the REAP Grant, which allowed agricultural producers such as themselves to receive grant funding, but the NC Tobacco Fund as well.
“Going solar was a great business decision. We’re able to use our cost savings on our utility bills to reinvest in the business and increase employee wages. More importantly, we can get closer to our goal of net zero energy expenditure in producing nutritious, local food.
We had a wonderful experience with the team at Rhino Renewables. They designed a solar and electrical system for our new facility and we couldn’t be happier.
They were very responsive and helpful throughout the process. They also provided lots of personal assistance with our grant and incentive applications.”