<p>Grower and packer Sunwest has installed a major solar project with the aid of locally-owned Pickett Solar to minimize its electricity expenses.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The main problem was the “pre-cooling and packing equipment that must run on the hot afternoons,” said Martin Britz, President.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The expansive rooftop project includes 9,576 solar panels, which annually generate enough power to serve 490 homes for a year. Initially, the company began with a 1-megawatt 3,240 project but expanded after seeing the reduction in costs. When the project is completed, it will make Sunwest’s solar program one of the largest privately-owned systems in the Valley. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>“Investing in an energy source that will not go up in price and that pays for itself in five years is a sound, bankable decision—vital to long term stability and growth,” said Dean Thonesen, Vice President.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Mike Pickett, President of Pickett Solar, said, "I believe this is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, solar project built by a locally owned solar company. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.sunwestfruit.com/" target="_new">Sunwest</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
