Review of a solar-powered Californian winery

Winegrowing (viticulture and enology) is a global industry, representing a significant demand on the world's resources, including fossil fuels and concomitant carbon. Given the detrimental effects that climate change may bring to the industry, coupled with rising fuel costs and political and legislative pressures, more and more winemaking facilities are adopting alternative sources of energy. Solar renewables in the form of solar thermal and photovoltaics (PVs) offer a complimentary solution to many winegrowing processes and in recent years have given rise to the concept of the 'solar winery'. This article provides a review of a Californian 'solar winery', outlining the winery's current energy profile and thus justification for a PV installation, a detailed description of the actual PV system installed, analysis of the PV performance and a brief detailing of future enhancements.