Energy efficiency in winemaking industry: Challenges and opportunities

Area of Science:

• Sustainable energy and climate change mitigation in the agricultural sector.
• Environmental science and energy management in food and beverage production.

Background:

• The United Nations highlights the urgent need for climate disaster prevention, with countries setting targets to reduce fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.
• The European Union is a major wine producer, with vineyards representing a significant portion of its farms.
• Wineries primarily use electricity (around 90%) for operations, with fermentation and bottling/storage being the most energy-intensive processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an integrated review of energy efficiency in wineries by analyzing 144 academic publications.
• To identify key areas for improving energy utilization and reducing environmental impact in the wine industry.
• To explore the link between research funding, EU energy directives, and sustainable practices in winemaking.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of 144 academic publications on energy efficiency in wineries.
• Analysis of research covering sustainable energy, building thermal performance, system efficiency, and renewable energy integration.
• Examination of the geographic distribution of research and its correlation with wine-producing regions.

Main Results:

• Energy consumption in wineries is dominated by fermentation (45-90%) and bottling/storage (18%).
• Research funding in Europe is linked to EU energy directives, indicating a policy-driven approach to sustainability.
• Consumer demand for eco-friendly products is increasing, but adoption of sustainable practices varies across the industry.

Conclusions:

• Implementing tools for energy management, system optimization, monitoring, and accounting is essential for wineries to reduce energy consumption.
• Enhancing energy efficiency and increasing the share of renewable energy in wineries can significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions.
• Progress in sustainable energy use and renewable integration will drive the wine industry towards climate neutrality.