Refrigeration
Refrigeration accounts for as much as 50-70% of winery electricity consumption; and with rising electricity prices there is considerable interest in decreasing refrigeration related electricity use and/or costs.
The Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC) has funded the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) Commercial Services to look at how Australian wineries can improve refrigeration efficiency. As part of the initial stage of this project a reference guide was produced. This document contains a succinct overview of winery refrigeration concepts, together with 19 improvement opportunities, and is available for download:
Improving Winery Refrigeration Efficiency – Reference Guide (PDF)
During the 2011 vintage, case studies were performed at two wineries (Winery A and Winery B) to specifically investigate some of the possibilities identified in this reference guide. Reports on the case studies performed at each winery are available for download below. The topics considered in each report are listed.
2011 Vintage – Winery A Case Studies (PDF)
- Warmer brine temperatures
- Cooling system operation and control systems
- Cooling system maintenance
- Plant shutdown/infrequent running
- External heat exchangers
2011 Vintage – Winery B Case Studies (PDF)
- Warmer white fermentation temperatures
- Tank stratification
Further information, including results from studies considering different wine storage temperatures currently being performed, will be posted on this site as they become available.