With a commercial-scale solar installation generating enough electricity to power 148 average homes, Valley Fine Foods is now getting 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources.

Valley Fine Foods, a California company that makes fine pastas, gourmet food and private label products for grocery stores and restaurants, installed some solar photovoltaic panels on its corporate facility Benicia in the past, but decided to make a bigger commitment to solar this year.

Stellar Energy installed the system, which includes a complete rooftop solar system as well as a fixed-tilt ground-mounted solar array that covers two acres of property adjacent to the facility. The 656-kilowatt system is expected to generate 1.7 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year and fully support Valley Foods’ Yuba City manufacturing facility.

“Having completed one system in Benicia, (Stellar Energy was) the obvious choice to complete our second system in Yuba City,” said Ryan Tu, Valley Fine Foods President. “We are a family-owned business, passionate about food and the environment. We entrusted Stellar Energy to help us achieve our goal having all facilities and operations 100 percent powered by renewable energy.”

Stellar Energy was able to find a creative financing solution for Valley Fine Foods that will allow the company to own the system without making any upfront or out-of-pocket payments.

“For this reason the system was designed to minimize all production risk, operations and maintenance costs, while saving the most money possible per acre of land used,” according to a release from Stellar.

Stellar Energy’s commercial solar business is growing and its relationship with sister company Soligent, the largest distributor of renewable energy products in the country, has enabled it to provide competitive pricing on systems, according to its release.

“It was an honor to partner with Valley Fine Foods,” Ted Walsh, Stellar Energy Vice President of Project Development said in a statement. “This solar system not only represents a profitable investment and responsible business strategy, it is also a clear demonstration of Valley Fine Foods’ sincere commitment to the environment and their community.”