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| Governor Cuomo's Representative Stefan Fleming Addresses the Crowd |
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NY-GEO Treasurer John
Manning Presents
"TOP JOB" Plaque to Kevin Moravec
-Also: Jared Fortna and Will Lange
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In a congratulatory letter, Governor Cuomo wrote: "I am
pleased to join in congratulating Hunt Country Vineyards on receiving the 2015
TOP JOB designation from the New York Geothermal Energy Organization for its
geothermal heating and cooling system. This achievement reflects Hunt Country’s
exemplary commitment to helping lead the way toward a greener
future. Hunt’s geothermal system provides a terrific model to other
businesses and corporations across the state and enhances the vineyard’s
standing as a positive force within the local community. On behalf of all New
Yorkers, I applaud Hunt Country Vineyards and its partners in this venture –
Moravec Geothermal and Dailey Electric – for your commitment to a more
sustainable future and your continuing contributions to the local region and
New York State. You have my best wishes for continued success."
“This is a well-deserved award for Hunt Country Vineyards.” Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand said. “ Through this new geothermal system the
vineyard will be able to reliably handle all of their heating and cooling needs
with renewable energy, a productive and efficient way to run this
business. New York Wine continues to be a growing and important part of
our economy and this project proves the commitment of Hunt Country Vineyards to
remain a vital part of this industry.”
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| Hunt Country Vineyards |
Hunt’s geothermal system
renewably and cleanly handles 100 percent of the heating/cooling needs for four
buildings at the Winery, utilizing a single 20-ton vertical closed loop. The buildings include the Tasting Room, the
Storage Facility and the Production Facilities, and they are served by 6 to 8
ton water-to-water heat pumps. The geothermal
system also heats the process water for the red wines. The New York State Research and Development
Agency (NYSERDA) provided support for this project, which is currently saving
Hunt an estimated $10,000 -$12,500 in
annual propane/fuel oil/electricity bills, while providing increased comfort in
summer and winter for all their facilities.
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Allison Hunt from
Representative Reed's Office
Presents the Certificate to Hunt Family Members:
Art,
Joyce and Suzanne Hunt
Vineyard GM Jim Alsina Looks On
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"NYSERDA
congratulates Hunt Country Vineyards and Moravec Geothermal for receiving this
honor," said John B. Rhodes, President and CEO, NYSERDA. "Hunt
Country Vineyards has tapped into a clean source of heating and cooling,
helping to significantly reduce its energy cost and its environmental
footprint. This project is a good example of the innovative solutions called
for by
Governor Cuomo's Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), a comprehensive
energy strategy to build a next-generation system that is clean, resilient and
affordable for all New Yorkers."
Geothermal is seen by some as “the next solar”. The earth’s surface absorbs almost half of
the incoming solar radiation, providing consistent temperatures
underground. Geothermal systems use
those consistent temperatures as a heat source in the winter and a heat sink in
the summer to heat and cool buildings.
Where solar photovoltaic (PV) can take care of the electricity needs of
a building, geothermal takes care of the heating, cooling and hot water
needs. The two technologies complement
each other, and now that solar power is successfully penetrating New York’s
electricity market, renewable energy enthusiasts are pulling for geothermal to
follow suit.
At the event Dailey Electric, Earth Sensitive
Solutions and GEOSTAR were also recognized for their contributions to this
successful project.
Hunt Country is a sixth-generation family farm. Their
wines (www.huntwines.com) have garnered over 20 major awards
(Gold, Double Gold, Best of Class or Best of Show) in recent prestigious
competitions across the country. Continuing their quest for energy
sustainability, the Vineyard is currently working to install a solar PV system
that will supply the electricity needed to run their operation.
On March 18
th, at
NY-GEO’s annual conference at Skidmore
College in Saratoga Springs, six impressive geothermal heat pump projects
competed for the TOP JOB designation. A
panel of three energy experts, with input from an enthused audience, named Hunt
Country Vineyards’ project the 2015 winner.
