Rising out of the northeast edge of the Suisun Marsh, Rush Ranch stretches across 2,070 acres of marsh and rolling grassland. Purchased in 1988 by Solano Land Trust, Rush Ranch provides recreational and educational opportunities to thousands of visitors each year.
Furthermore, it was designated as part of the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in 2003 and has provided essential contributions to tidal marsh science as a premier tidal habitat protecting plant and animal species of the marsh. Using innovative, non-confrontational techniques, Solano Land Trust has permanently protected 22,161 acres of natural areas and agricultural lands to date. In addition to maintaining the property, Solano Land Trust works in close partnership with the Rush Ranch Educational Council, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that promotes education and public outreach programs for the Ranch.
With these credentials, the Ranch has explored several renewable energy options, including wind and solar. In June 2017, installer Green Build Energy Group teamed up with Greentech Renewables to replace several flooded lead-acid batteries with ten Simpliphi 48V 3.4kWh lithium-ion batteries. Charged with an 11.5kW PV system and 3kW wind turbine, these batteries combined in parallel made a 34 kWh bank to provide valuable storage for the Ranch's nighttime loads.
According to the system owner, the batteries demonstrated significantly greater energy capacity in their first full day of operation: "The propane backup generator had its first good night's rest in a long time, as the Simpliphi batteries carry the loads through the night."
Suisun City, CA 94585
United States
