Data driven approach to energy efficiency in wineries

In the last years the wine sector is witnessing strong growth in terms of visibility, but at the same time it is facing new challenges such as digitalization and improving the sustainability of production processes. In this context, energy consumption assumes significant relevance, as the wine production and storage process of the most wineries turn out to be particularly energy intensive. Scientific literature analysis shows the presence of consumption peaks concentrated in the harvest months, followed by long periods of almost constant consumption during the rest of the year. The main source of energy used in wineries is electricity, which, in addition to ensuring the operation of mechanical process equipment, is mainly used to power the cooling systems serving the winery. Energy consumption data, particularly those related to electricity, can be collected through monitoring systems and stored within databases that, however, are often found not to be interconnected with process data collection systems such as ERP systems and/or business management systems. Taking a case study as a starting point, the research analyzes the technologies currently available to wineries for the collection and management of process energy data with an efficiency gains target. The results made it possible to extrapolate some useful solutions for companies not only in terms of internal improvement, but also as a communication tool to the end consumer.