Nuance Energy Enables Toor Farming to Save Over $55,000 Annually Using the Osprey PowerPlatform® to Provide Solar Power for its Wells

SAN RAMON, Calif., Aug. 21, 2017 -- Nuance Energy, manufacturer of the patent-pending Osprey PowerPlatform^® and developer of distributed generation solar projects through its Central Valley AgWell Solar^® division, today announced that Toor Farming, Inc. in Visalia, California has installed 194 kilowatts (kW) of ground-mount solar arrays to power one of its ag well pumps in Madera, California. An arrangement with Tabuchi Electric will provide an additional 179kW of power for a separate pump, also in Madera.

Toor Farming was motivated to switch to solar energy when PG&E’s AG-ICE rate was scheduled to expire in 2016. AG-ICE offered a low rate structure to discourage the use of generators driven by diesel internal combustion engines (ICE) as a source of power for ag pumps. When this special rate expired, the utility company placed customers on a rate with high demand charges. The solar project enabled Toor Farming to switch to a more solar-friendly AG-4 rate with a lower demand charge but higher peak time-of-use (TOU) charge that can easily be avoided whenever the sun is shining.

“We approached Arun Toor of Toor Farming and informed him that his rate was increasing dramatically with the expiration of AG-ICE. After showing him the potential savings on other rate structures, he decided it made sense to go solar,” said Brian C. Boguess, Nuance Energy co-founder and CEO. “The substantial savings has attracted interest from other farmers in the area, and we are now in the process of forming a solar energy co-op.”

Nuance Energy brokered the deal between Toor Farming and Tabuchi Electric for additional power from a test site located on another one of Toor’s Madera properties. Under the arrangement, Tabuchi Electric will own and operate a total of 179kW of generating capacity for five years, at which time Toor Farming will have the option to acquire the system. The partnership led Tabuchi to discover the strategic advantages afforded by the Osprey PowerPlatform, and resulted in the company making a strategic investment in Nuance Energy (Nuance Energy Receives $3 Million Investment from Tabuchi Electric to Accelerate Growth in North America).

Nuance Energy’s Osprey PowerPlatform was critical to the success of the project. The Osprey PowerPlatform is a modular, solar racking platform that employs an innovative earth anchor foundation system. The system enables contractors, developers, integrators, and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms to achieve peak profitability through the industry’s lowest labor and installation costs, and fastest time-to-completion for ground mount systems. The ability to deploy solar arrays on varied terrain and soil conditions using only handheld tools also helps make solar energy more practical and affordable at any scale, and creates more opportunities for agricultural, commercial, industrial and small utility-scale projects.

About Nuance Energy
Nuance Energy is making solar energy substantially more affordable. The company’s patent-pending Osprey PowerPlatform^® solar ground mount racking system employs a unique earth anchor and modular, scalable design to enable contractors, integrators and EPCs to achieve peak profitability through the industry’s lowest installation costs and fastest time-to-revenue for ground mounted systems. Nuance Energy’s mission is to lead solar innovation while focused on the solar industry’s downstream value chain saving partners and customers time and money. Headquartered in San Ramon, CA, Nuance Energy (www.nuanceenergy.com) and its subsidiary AgWell Solar (www.agwellsolar.com) provide design, engineering, installation and financing for select projects.

Contact: 
Jennifer Spoerri 
Gallagher PR 
415/563.2363  
[email protected]