18-05-2025
Sun shines on local winery as Debonné gets solar panels
MADISON TOWNSHIP — Debonné Vineyards celebrated the installation of five arrays of solar panels with a ribbon cutting Thursday afternoon.
The winery's owners were joined at the ribbon cutting by prominent business and political leaders from eastern Lake County.
'There's no other winery that I know in the state of Ohio right now that's got a solar field, especially of this size,' Debonné owner Tony Debevc said.
The array of panels helps power the vineyard's wine production, Debevc said.
'We were at the beginning of this industry, and we're proud to continue that reputation,' he said. 'We're expanding our business, we're opening a new facility in Harpersfield.'
Debevc said the winery production relies on lots of electricity, especially for refrigeration, bottling and other equipment.
'This was a way for us to control some of our costs in the future of our business,' he said.
Debonné got federal grants during the COVID-19 pandemic because the winery kept its employees.
The federal support helped them still profit during the pandemic, as wine demand increased while people were stuck in quarantine, Debevc said.
'We decided, let's use that money for something positive for the community and sustainable for our environment, and not just buy a condominium somewhere in Florida,' he said. 'That didn't make a lot of sense to me.'
The winery got other federal grants to more directly fund the project, too.
'We got Debonné a [Department of Agriculture] grant, specifically for this,' Sun Lion Energy President Jess Ennis said. 'They also got a 30% tax credit.'
Sun Lion Energy sets up solar projects across northern Ohio.
'We're based in Summit County,' Ennis said. 'We design and build solar power systems, mainly for commercial entities, especially farms. We've been doing that for eight or nine years.'
Ennis said the solar panels are connected with the power grid.
'Whenever they're generating power, and it's more than they're using for their loads to run the equipment, what happens with is the excess is first it replenishes the batteries,' he said. 'Then once the batteries are full, then the system will export excess power back to the utilities, and that in effect makes Debonné's meter run backwards.'
The winery will get credit for the power being exported, Ennis said.
'Whatever customer is drawing power from First Energy that's close by, likely they'll get that electricity,' he said.
Ennis said the array of panels will save costs for the winery.
'This system is producing even more than we projected on the high end,' he said.
