Innovative approach to energy efficiency benchmarking in the wine sector

Abstract

The wine industry, a key sector for the European Union’s economy, exhibits significant energy consumption, amounting to approximately 1,750 million kWh annually within this geographic context, with major contributions from Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal (Fuentes Pila et al., 2015). According to Vela et al. (2017), the primary source of energy is electricity (around 90%). Fossil fuels are also consumed for thermal processes (e.g., water heating before bottling), accounting approximately for the remaining 10% of the total energy consumption. In this context, reducing wineries primary energy consumption and related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through energy efficiency improvement and the increase of the share of energy needs covered by renewable sources is crucial to fit the objectives of the 2050 European Union strategy (EU Commission, 2019).

Following a thorough review of existing research on energy use in the sector (de Castro et al., 2024; Bietresato et al., 2023), our research introduces an innovative method to foster energy efficiency in the wine industry, focusing on the benchmarking of Energy Performance Indicators (EnPIs) (Ciotti et al., 2024). It facilitates the evaluation and monitoring of wineries’ performances over time, allowing for comparisons with similar entities. The methodology categorizes wineries into eleven distinct reference models based on their process types, enhancing the understanding of energy use. Additionally, three “outsourcing” indices are introduced to identify significant energy consumption in key production stages. Designed for simplicity, the methodology requires only basic input and product output data, which are readily available to companies.

The proposed approach has been validated through a survey of 20 Italian wineries, ranging from small producers to large-scale operations; a specially developed data collection form was used to gather relevant data. Results revealed important limitations in methods that rely solely on EnPIs for energy performance benchmarking. Such methods may lead to inaccurate conclusions without a deeper understanding of energy use related to specific production processes. The categorization and outsourcing indices introduced in this study enable a more comprehensive analysis of energy consumption, offering insights beyond traditional EnPI-based evaluations. Interestingly, some companies initially perceived as efficient exhibited critical performance issues, highlighting the need for further analysis.

Correlation analyses confirmed the robustness and efficacy of the proposed methodology, demonstrating its potential to significantly support stakeholders in improving sustainability practices. This innovative approach not only facilitates internal energy performance improvements but also supports the establishment of certification standards in the wine sector, promoting the sharing of best practices.