SOLAR ORCHARD
at LIMONEIRA
“Built a 2 MW solar installation at Limoneira, surpassing Google as one of the largest commercial solar projects of its time.”
A MISSION IN SUSTAINABILITY
Limoneira had been growing citrus in California since 1893. More than a century later, the company was looking at what sustainable agriculture could mean at a very different scale.
The Solar Orchard put 2 MW of solar into operation across two 5.5-acre installations, at a time when commercial solar projects of that size were still unusual.
The work was hands-on. Reviewing plans against existing irrigation lines. Taking soil samples. Working across agriculture, engineering, planning and environmental requirements to help get the project built.
The panels generated power. The orchards kept producing fruit.
FROM CO-OP TO PUBLIC
At the same time, sustainability was expanding across the company.
The work included bringing graduate students from UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School onto the land to develop ideas for the 500-acre East Area 1 development, work around a LEED visitor center, and finding ways to bring sustainability into the operations of a growing agricultural company.
As Limoneira moved from its cooperative roots toward becoming an independent public company, that work also became part of how the company told its story.
From soil samples and site plans to packing-house photography, trade shows and public communications, Ely worked across both the projects themselves and how they were understood.
The work came first. The story grew out of it.