Mount Eden and Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, both nestled in the hills above Saratoga, are using solar energy to power their wineries. They are the advance guard for a trend that could become commonplace in the wine industry.

Barry Cinnamon, president of Los Gatos­based Akeena Solar, has been instrumental in convincing the wineries to use solar power instead of a conventional energy source.

Cinnamon's house in Saratoga overlooks the two wineries. "For years I thought that they had the perfect opportunity to convert to solar power," he said.

Wineries occupy their own land and are long-term investments. These, according to Cinnamon, are perfect conditions for starting to use solar power.

So when the two wineries began showing an interest, Cinnamon jumped at the opportunity.

"It is a growing market and our two local wineries are the early adapters," said Cinnamon.

Jeffrey Patterson, owner of Mount Eden Wineries, said that he had always had an interest in renewable resources. "We also got a lot of incentives for converting to solar power. We could take advantage of tax breaks and rebates," he said.

Patterson had been reading about solar power in various magazines. Last year, he decided to take the plunge.

Before going solar, Mount Eden spent about $9,000 annually in electricity bills.

"The biggest advantage is that we are insulated against any future increases in the price of power or even a power crisis," said Patterson.

Bill Cooper, Patterson's neighbor at Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, had also been thinking of going solar for awhile. Cooper had spoken with representatives of Akeena Solar two years ago. "But the costs did not add up to our advantage," he said.

Two years later, investing in solar power made sense.

Cooper-Garrod went solar recently and held a dedication ceremony on March 20 to mark the event.

"Solar power is at the heart of sustainable wine making. We believe in Akeena's philosophy of running the meter backwards," Cooper said.

"The saving on the electric bill shows up right away. But a payback takes five to six years--all this for equipment that will last 20 to 30 years or even more," he said.

Cooper said that he is looking forward to testing the system during the summer months, when wine will be processed at the facility. "If it is economically viable, we will do more of it," he said.

The Cooper-Garrod stables, which are located adjacent to the winery, still use conventional electric power.

The winery spent about $75,000 for installation of the solar panels.

Cooper-Garrods Vineyards has devised a workbook that helps employers understand the economics of sustainable wine making.

"We recycle our glass, plastic, corks and bottles," said Cooper. "Solar power was just the next step."

He said that the solar panels will soon become part of the tour at the winery.

"We usually take visitors to the vineyard and winery and explain the wine-making process. Soon, we will add a small bit about using solar energy," he said. "We will also continue to refine what we are doing in terms of sustainability."