ELKIN, N.C. -- A fledgling Surry County wine making operation already holds the designation as the first U.S.D.A. certified organic vineyard in North Carolina. It now lays claim to another distinction as the state's first winery to be powered by solar energy.

Clyde and Patricia Colwell threw the switch on a set of solar panels on the roof of their two-story winery last Tuesday. The panels are harnessing the sun's energy to light their tasting room, but more importantly, to turn their organic grapes into wine and bottle it for sale.

"We have a very keen eye toward the environment,” said Clyde Colwell. "That's where our interest came from. It's a spinoff of the organic production."

There were some doubting Thomases when they first broached the idea to others.

"It's really expensive and is it really going to pay back in time,” said Patricia. “That is the major questions we got from everyone."

The photovoltaic system cost the Colwell's $35,000, which was about half of what it would have cost three years ago. Grants and tax credits cut that another 50 percent and the time needed to pay off their investment plunged.

"The payback time is about five years, so, it's been reduced by two thirds," Clyde said

A data logger records the amount of electricity the panels generate, the environmental benefits and the cost savings. It's information they planned to display on a flat screen monitor in the tasting room.

"(It) keeps track of the carbon offset from the electricity on the solar panels on the roof as well as the U.S. dollar value of that," said Patricia.

The Colwells said the solar panels would even generate electricity on a cloudy day.

"Even though it's a rainy, overcast day, we have earnings today and then our total earnings since the system was turned on of six days ago, so, $57," Patricia said.

The Colwells hoped other vineyards and wineries also would consider a move toward organic growing and solar energy.

"It makes us better stewards of the earth, is the way that we think about it," said Patricia 

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