A Technical Guide
for Wine Producers

RECENT ARTICLES   |   WYNBOER HOME

CURRENT VINEYARD AND CELLAR EVENTS

The cost impact on wine cellars of energy cost

Charl Theron

As a result of the formation of heat during the alcoholic fermentation of wines, the vinification process may theoretically be considered to be energy creating. In reality the opposite is true, however, seeing that the cost of energy, together with the cost of cellar personnel, represent the biggest expense items of wine cellars. It is therefore essential to pay ongoing attention to this matter, since it might impact considerably on the price of the final products.

In order to evaluate the energy cost of a cellar, it is firstly important to be aware of and identify all sources thereof. This includes electricity and fuel in its various forms. The most important users are vehicles, boilers, cooling, compressors, pumps, aerators for waste water dams, air conditioning, office equipment and lighting. Financially speaking, the evaluation of the cost is the monetary value thereof, but it will only be possible to implement improvements if the energy consumption is known in energy units such as kilowatt (kW) or British Thermal Units (BTU).

Energy savings do not always have to be revolutionary and simple practices such as the following are also able to create a culture of energy saving in a cellar:

  • Switching off lights and equipment that are not in use.
  • The use of low energy bulbs.
  • The use of equipment with variable speed.
  • The efficient isolation of warm water and cooling pipelines or the use of tanks with cooling casings.
  • The use of natural instead of artificial lighting.
  • The use of window coverings to limit solar heating.
  • By saving on water consumption, the costs of pumping and aeration of cellar waste water will be reduced.
The actual evaluation of the cost of energy to a cellar can only be done in comparison with that of other similar cellars. This calibration can be done by energy consultants, universities or in collaboration with other wine cellars.

Cellars should commit to saving energy on principle, however, and then decide on the actions to implement so as to address the issue. Normally the process consists of two stages, namely a self-audit control list to be checked on a regular basis, and an external audit to be conducted at specific moments. It is important, in both instances, to audit the behavioural patterns of employees as well as technical aspects.

If the decision is taken to conduct a self-audit, the following questions, at the very least, should be asked or addressed:

  • The total annual cost of energy in monetary value.
  • The unit consumption of electricity, fuel and water in kilowatts or litres.
  • The energy consumption per production volume unit (cartons or litres).
  • Was an energy audit conducted in the previous two years and what happened to the relevant reports and recommendations?
  • Is there a scheduled preventative maintenance plan for all equipment, or are breakdowns handled reactively only?
  • Are thermostats of heating or cooling equipment adjusted in line with the different seasons, or left as is once the equipment has been installed?
  • Are lights and equipment switched off when not in use?
  • Is the isolation equipment for tanks and pipelines sufficient and what is the condition of such isolation?
  • Are compressors regularly checked for leakages and repaired if leakages are identified?
  • Are timing switches used for equipment that does not have to remain switched on all the time, for example the aerators of cellar waste water?
Upon completion of the audit specific plans of action should be drawn up to address the problems. Although self-audits are important, external audits are important, at least from a calibration point of view, to ensure that the cellar remains competitive. Applicable software can also be used to act pro-actively. For example, Californian wine cellars use the "Benchmarking and Energy and Water Savings Tool" (BEST) programme to optimise energy consumption (www.energy.ca.gov/pier/iaw/index.html).

Reference:

Garn, J, 2005. Benefits of energy auditing for your winery. Practical Winemaker May/June 2005: 6 - 15.

Wynboer is incorporated in WineLand, magazine of the SA wine producers.

Subscribe to WineLand

Visit our sister sites:


South African wine farmers' representative organisation


Facts, figures, contact details and much more in the 2009/10 Directory

UP COPYRIGHT (C) 2000 WineLand