Eficiencia energética e integración de renovables en bodegas vinícolas_Sergio Morales Ruiz

Energy Efficiency and Integration of Renewables in Wineries Sergio Morales Ruiz, Lead Researcher, Energy Line, EURECAT Foundation Presentation at Enoforum 2026 This presentation helps identify some energy challenges and sustainable practices that should be considered in the wine sector. Within the European framework, the main objective has been set to reduce final energy consumption by at least 11.7% compared to the 2020 baseline scenario, through energy-saving measures in all economic sectors, emphasizing that energy efficiency is the primary principle. This requires that energy efficiency solutions be considered in investment decisions, planning, and public policies. In the wine sector, the following measures have been established to contribute to reducing final energy consumption: The implementation of energy management systems in wineries with high energy consumption. Optimization of thermal and refrigeration processes, where controlled fermentation, cold stabilization, and climate control in the winery represent a significant portion of energy consumption. Energy monitoring, digitization, and reporting; use of sensors, energy management platforms, and data collection. Improvement of the efficiency of auxiliary equipment and operations; replacement of devices with high-efficiency equipment. Integration of renewable energy and electrification: the directive encourages agri-food industries to incorporate self-consumption of renewable energy and electrify processes where feasible, thus reducing dependence on fossil fuels for heating, domestic hot water, and air conditioning. Various measures to reduce energy consumption are presented in fact sheets, with this consumption being dominated by the energy demand for product refrigeration and fermentation, where electricity is the most widely used energy source. Given that the winemaking process is heavily dependent on energy prices, it is vulnerable to price fluctuations and can limit profit margins in the sector. While renewable energy sources increase energy independence and self-generation, some technologies are not economically viable due to various factors (higher initial investment at small scale, or lower efficiency and higher maintenance costs per kW installed at small scale).