Energy Solutions and Independence for Wineries

  • Monday, July 20, 2026
  • 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
  • Grgich Hills Estate

Discover the actual expenses associated with energy and strategies for reduction during this workshop. Through real-world case studies, we will explore renewable options and the path toward energy independence, providing actionable steps and resources to guide you in your journey.

Speakers including:

  • Maria Fields, Sprocket Power – Hear about the financing options and support available for adding solar or microgrid technologies. 
  • Samantha Childress, Schneider Electric – Learn what it would look like to become energy independent at your winery and what that really means. 
  • Chris Kubik, MCE – Learn about the renewable energy programs available to us in Napa County, without adding infrastructure at your facility. 
  • Kelly Graves, VinWizard – How to optimize energy efficiency and energy costs with data insights.
  • Gita Mallya, Domaine Carneros & Vance Rose, Harpers Rest – Insights from winery microgrid project implementation including goals, project scope and results.
  • Dennis Quinn,  Sprocket Power – Workshopping real world issues, with Q&A, resources, and more.
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Samantha Childress | Director, Microgrid Partner Strategy & Channel Sales at Schneider Electric

For the last decade, Sam Childress has been driving the adoption of locally produced energy for clients by designing and commercializing microgrid and distributed energy solutions at Schneider Electric. In her current role as Director of Microgrid Partner Strategy & Channel Sales, she builds innovative partnerships that enable clean, affordable, and reliable energy to be deployed at scale.​

Motivated by the intersection of sustainability, technology, and societal impact, Sam focuses on strengthening energy resilience and accelerating decarbonization by simplifying the integration of distributed energy resources and scaling partner ecosystems.​

Sam holds a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a B.S. in Appropriate (Sustainable) Technology from Appalachian State University. Beyond work, she enjoys life in Green Bay, Wisconsin with her wife, Megan, and their golden retriever, Packer, and serves on the boards of United Solar Initiative and Footprint Project to advance clean energy access and disaster resilience.

Maria Fields | CEO and Co-founder of Sprocket Power, Inc.

Maria Fields leads Sprocket Power’s strategy and business development, through partnerships and programmatic adoption of Sprocket Power’s Fleet Electrification and Managed Microgrid offering. Maria is a policy advocate and solutions developer with a passion for overcoming obstacles to market access for distributed energy resources (DERs) in the Energy Transition. Bringing approaches that are established and proven in large Commercial & Industrial facilities to smaller commercial buildings is a particular focus.

Maria has 15 years of experience in advanced building technology and the grid transition. Previously, Maria was a co-founder of JouleSmart Solutions where she worked to develop and launch the two leading pay-for-performance efficiency initiatives in the US. These programs established frameworks for valuing and compensating energy reduction for the benefit of businesses and the grid alike.

Maria is a frequent speaker on policy and market development to advance the role of performance-based solutions for DERs in the energy system. Maria earned an M.B.A. Columbia University, and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and B.F.A., both from Lehigh University.

Chris Kubik | Senior Business Development Manager at MCE

Chris works with MCE’s commercial customers and business partners, helping customers learn about, evaluate, and select MCE programs that enable them to envision and achieve their energy, financial, and sustainability objectives. Prior to 2015, Chris worked at Constellation Energy and EnerNOC (acquired by Enel), where she helped large energy users make decisions about adopting energy storage, demand response, and energy efficiency. Previously, Chris worked in tech in international business development in California and Europe. She earned a master’s degree in international affairs at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in political science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. In her free time, Chris loves spending time actively in the great California outdoors with her family and friends.

Kelly Graves | CEO of VinWizard

Kelly Graves is the CEO/Owner of VinWizard, a winery efficiency platform helping producers improve productivity, reduce energy & water use, and gain better visibility into cellar operations. Based in Sonoma County, Kelly holds a BS and MS in Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis as well as an MBA from Sonoma State University. Prior positions held include roles in winemaking, finance, and engineering. His ethos on sustainability in the wine industry is being “Green” saves carbon and cash.

Gita Mallya | Viticulturist and Sustainability Lead at Domaine Carneros

Gita Mallya joined Domaine Carneros in 2023 as Viticulturist and Sustainability Lead, overseeing viticultural analysis and planning, sustainable farming practices, and sustainability certifications across 400 acres of estate vineyards in the Carneros AVA. Mallya holds a Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis, where her academic excellence earned her recognition from Wine Spectator and the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, among other prestigious scholarships. An active contributor to the wine community, she co-founded Women in Wine at UC Davis and remains engaged through several regional vineyard and wine technical groups.

Vance Rose | Winemaker/General Manager at Harpers Rest

Vance Rose is a wine industry veteran with over 40 years’ experience, encompassing winemaking in California, France, Spain and Australia, and brings with this a background in wine retail, wholesale, winery management, sales, and marketing. Ever since having a great bottle of 1959 red Burgundy when he was 18, Vance has sought to find vineyards from which to make wine that could rival that seminal experience.  With the start of the purchase of Moon Dust Vineyard in 2021 and Harper’s Rest Vineyard in 2025, he is confident he is finally there. In addition to his work in vineyards, wineries, Vance is a highly regarded chef.

Dennis Quinn | President & Co-founder at Sprocket Power, Inc.

Dennis Quinn is the CEO and co-founder of Sprocket Power LLC, where he leads the development and execution of the company’s value proposition, strategic partnerships, contractor network, and performance-based capital initiatives.

Prior to founding Sprocket Power, Mr. Quinn played a key role in advancing grid-scale solar development with ABOVEgrid and served as founding CEO of JouleSmart Solutions, an innovative energy efficiency company focused on delivering measurable, performance-based outcomes.

Mr. Quinn brings decades of experience in electric grid management and distributed energy resources. As co-founder and CEO of Celerity Energy LLC—one of the first demand response companies in the U.S.—he built a portfolio of university, commercial, and industrial clients across the western U.S. Under his leadership, Celerity secured a 25 MW long-term contract, establishing one of the first successful third-party-owned, non-spinning reserve DG/DR portfolios in the country.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Quinn served as Vice President of PacifiCorp Development Company, where he led the development of over $300 million in domestic and international power projects. With more than 40 years of experience, Mr. Quinn is a recognized leader in the evolution of distributed energy and grid modernization.