Refrigeration accounts for as much as 50%-70% of winery electricity consumption. Electricity costs are rising and there is considerable interest in decreasing refrigeration-related electricity use and/or costs. The Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC) funded a project by the Commercial Services group at the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) to investigate how Australian wineries can improve refrigeration efficiency.
A short reference guide produced by the project can be downloaded below. This includes an overview of winery refrigeration and improvement opportunities.
Improving Winery Refrigeration Efficiency – Reference Guide
Case studies investigating selected topics in more detail were performed at two wineries (Winery A and Winery B) during 2011. Three technical reports on this work are available for download below. The topics considered in each report are listed.
- Warmer brine temperatures
- Cooling system operation and control systems
- Cooling system maintenance
- Plant shutdown/infrequent running
- External heat exchangers
Winery B – Case study report 1
- Warmer white fermentation temperatures
- Tank stratification
Winery B – Case study report 2
- Storage temperatures
- Night-time cooling