Major solar installation at Cape Jaffa Wines

Cape Jaffa Wines has made a huge step towards meeting its sustainability goals with the installation of 297 solar panels on its winery roof.

Back in 2009, the company began to recognise the fact that running a certified organic and biodynamic vineyard created a degree of expectation from customers that the business was ‘green’. As noted by Cape Jaffa General Manager Anna Hooper, “While there are many aspects of what we were doing in the vineyard that can be considered environmentally friendly, to truly be ‘green’ means so much more than running a biodynamic vineyard.”

The winery has grappled with the fact that out on the Cape it is distanced from the national three-phase power grid which supplies the necessary current for most winery equipment, instead relying on load-matched diesel generators for its three-phase power requirements. And although the company was an early adopter of solar technology in the office and cellar door area, to make use of solar power generation in the winery it either needed to store power or have the support of a three-phase grid connection.

Another challenge facing all wineries is that the production process is tied to grape supply, which is of course based on a perennial cycle. There are therefore typically big peaks in usage, especially at vintage time, due to the large-scale equipment used for processing and refrigeration. This adds another challenge to obtaining a payback on an investment, especially when there is no grid to feed back into if supply outweighs demand.

To better understand energy efficiency, Cape Jaffa went through the process of a detailed energy audit. Although the audit was supported by a government grant, there was no funding available to invest in the improvements recommended. Reducing usage, and in particular peak loads, became the focus, and substantial savings were achieved through a number of changes to processes.

“We began co-inoculating for secondary fermentation to reduce our requirements to warm wines and we moved away from traditional cold stabilisation,” said Hooper. “Over time we have waited patiently for pricing on solar panels and battery-based storage to come down to the point that it’s now economical for us in its own right, even without the assistance of grants.”

With a capacity of 81 kW, and coupled with 96 x 400 Ah lithium battery cells to store power for use at times when the sun isn’t shining, Cape Jaffa’s new solar system is expected to create an emissions savings of about 60 CO₂e per year. The company would like to acknowledge the support of ZEN Energy, the supplier of the lithium battery system, as well as electrician Anthony Moore and his team at Robe Electrical for completing the installation itself.

“We expect that the system will mean we can run a carbon-neutral operation for nine months of the year and will occasionally run a diesel back-up generator to top up our power supply when required during vintage,” said Cape Jaffa Director Derek Hooper.