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Best Practice Guide |
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Food and Beverage Growers and Processors |
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Case StudyFetzer VineyardLocation: Hopland, Mendocino County Company Website: http://www.fetzer.com Company Information
Fetzer operates two wineries: its main production site and administrative headquarters in Hopland, California and a second site built in the early 1990s in Paso Robles, California. Hopland has 11 million gallons of steel storage capacity, seven grape crushers, and an annual fermentation capacity of 35,000 tons. The winery is designed with separate temperature controlled areas for fermentation and bottling, as well as a 600,000-case storage center.
From 1999 to 2004, Fetzer's efforts have saved roughly 1 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. Fetzer has also reduced water consumption over the same time period by 24 percent or 6.6 million gallons, and has reduced waste to landfills by 95 percent.
Fetzer has undertaken many other energy efficiency measures across its facilities. A simple insulated concrete wall, for example, was constructed to separate cold stabilizing wine from warm-fermenting wine, reducing energy bills by $5,000 per month.
Compressor controls
Fetzer has 1200 horsepower (hp) of compressor motors available for cooling white wine, which is stored in tanks. To make these run more efficiently, Fetzer installed programmable logic controls (PLC) that monitor the refrigerant for temperature and pressure. The controls use this data to cycle compressors on/off as needed, decreasing runtime of both the compressors and chilling tower pumps. Since runtimes are reduced, maintenance needs are also lower and the useful lifespan of the compressors is increased. The PLC resulted in annual energy savings of over 225,000 kWh and cost savings of nearly $30,000. Maintenance costs were reduced, too, by about $4,000 per year. PG&E provided a $28,000 rebate for this project, helping to make payback on Fetzer's investment in just over three years. Tartrate removal However, a small portion of Fetzer's white wines employ an innovative technology, known as electrodialysis, to remove tartrates. The process, known as Selective Tartrate Removal System (STARS), works by moving micro-layers of wine between two membranes that are selectively permeable; one to tartrate species, and the other to potassium and calcium. A water-based conductant flows past the other side of each membrane. A weak electrical field attracts the tartrate salts and moves them through the membranes. As the salts cross the membranes, they are carried off by a conductant solution, which is discarded. The wines are then ready for bottling. According to Patrick Healy, environmental manager at Fetzer, "We've been renting the services of Winesecrets for the past three years to help test this for both Winesecrets and the larger wine community. Electrodialysis consumes about 20 percent of the energy of refrigeration - we're doing accurate measurements this year for the Energy Commission about actual reductions made." During the 1990s, the French National Agronomic Research Institute, in concert with Eurodia Industrie, developed this process. Since then, Eurodia has installed over 30 units in France, Italy and Spain. In California, Winesecrets provides both stationary equipment as well as a mobile service to help wineries interested in STARS. Heat Exchanger After researching options, Fetzer decided to install a high-efficiency heat exchanger. Traveling in pipes between the wine production area and the pre-bottling area, wine comes in contact with the heat exchanger, which quickly warms wine to around 50° F, the optimal temperature for placing labels. Previously, Fetzer spent almost $8,000 per year on natural gas for the boiler to provide hot water for warming wine tanks. With the heat exchange system, Fetzer pays only $2,500 for natural gas and saves 700 million Btus per year. Fetzer also saves $1,500 on reduced boiler maintenance. The new system has sped bottling lines by 20 percent, yet results in fewer label misplacements. Fewer shifts are needed to produce the same amount of wine, resulting in labor savings of $48,000. Less reworking of labels reduces waste, and saves about $11,000 annually on materials. The total savings from the project are $76,500; simple payback for this investment is slightly less than 1 year. The heat exchanger also saves water by recirculating it over pipes several times before sending it to the wastewater system. The old system allowed water to pass along the sides of the wine tank only once, running thousands of gallons of hot water down the sides of wine tanks before sending it to wastewater runoff reservoirs. Recirculating hot water in the new system reduces the amount of water that has to be pumped, treated and disposed of and has led to savings of over 1,000,000 gallons of potable water and $11,000 in costs.
Meters and usage tracking Minimizing chemical treatments Natural filtration of wastewater
Photovoltaics Over the 25-year lifetime of the photovoltaic system, it will reduce an estimated 850 lbs. of nitrogen oxide and 1088 tons of carbon dioxide - the equivalent effect of planting 375 acres of trees or eliminating 4 million miles of drive time.
Peer-to-Peer Education Fetzer supports the efforts of the California Sustainable Winegrowers Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to identifying and disseminating sustainable best practices for wineries and winegrape growers. Fetzer also established Club Bonterra, an organization of Fetzer grape growers dedicated to sharing information about sustainable farming practices. Fetzer employees regularly speak at industry meetings and conferences, sharing with peers tips and tools for reducing energy and water consumption. Fetzer employees also contribute to countless articles on sustainable practices. Fetzer frequently partners with research institutions and government agencies, such as the University of California and the California Energy Commission, to demonstrate new innovations in processes or equipment. Recycling & Composting Fetzer uses 40 percent recycled glass in its bottling production and all case boxes are made of 100 percent post-consumer waste. Fetzer also purchases corks in bulk directly from producers in Portugal; because corks are shipped in a container direct to the winery, no excess packaging is required. |