Definition of new technical-economic performance indicators to better monitor the production efficiency of wineries

One of the most difficult but useful and necessary activities in an industrial context is monitoring the energy efficiency of the entire production layout, particularly of a wine-making plant. Generally, an analytical approach cannot be used because it would require knowledge of all subsystem efficiencies and energy absorptions, as well as of the interconnection schemes (series and parallels). Another possibility is carrying out a rough check on the overall output(s), disregarding the individual phases. This approach is particularly helpful for management audits and operational monitoring, as it allows calculating the most typical Energy Performance Indicator (EnPI), i.e. the “energy used to produce a unit of product” (in kWh·hL-1 of unpacked wine or kWh per 0.75-L-bottle). Nonetheless, this EnPI is not sufficient to carry out precise energy efficiency actions throughout the entire wine production process. However, if this EnPI is supplemented by other KPIs-Key Performance Indicators, it becomes possible to carry out more thorough and targeted evaluations regarding the efficiency of individual macro-phases within the process. Consequently, starting from a mathematical approach considering coefficients using all possible combinations (standard coefficients – SCs) of inputs and/or outputs (240 with both input and output factors + 226 having only input or only output factors), a set of 3 supplementary KPIs has been formulated, aiming at refining and accelerating the assessment of energy efficiency in the processes within the wine industry.