BROWN Family Wine Group has been granted $116,397 to explore new ways to deploy renewable energy and efficiency to unlock savings and reduce emissions.
The Milawa-based company will use the funding to explore how it can electrify the business and upgrade its hot water systems.
It will investigate different pathways to decarbonise the site, including fully electrifying the operation.
Some 60 per cent of Brown Family Wine’s electricity use is for refrigeration, both in the vineyard and neighbouring restaurant.
The company intends to upgrade its refrigeration system for better energy use.
Battery energy storage will also increase the amount of solar generated on site, while the winery's wastewater treatment plant will be upgraded to capture the biogas to reduce emissions.
All measures seek to help the company achieve its target of 50 per cent reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030.
Brown Family Wines’ Milawa site produces more than 12 million litres of wine - almost one per cent of total wine production in Australia.
The study funded by the grant aims to inform the industry about the more suitable solutions to decarbonise and accelerate the uptake of energy efficiency projects across the industry.
According to Wine Australia, the wine sector emitted 1.77 million tonnes in 2020-21, equivalent to the emissions produced by a fully-laden jet plane flying 609 laps around the world.
The International Energy Agency reports that energy efficiency and electrification can deliver 45 per cent of the global emissions abatement needed by 2050.
The grant is part of the Federal Government Renewable Energy Agency's backing of 10 businesses with an almost $2 million investment to investigate innovative technologies.
Assistant Minister for Climate Change & Energy, Jenny McAllister, said businesses across the Milawa Gourmet Region know that investing in energy performance unlocks productivity and energy savings.
"We want to help businesses around the country make every watt count," she said.
“We know how important Brown Family Wine is to workers and the community as one of Australia’s longest-standing family wineries, and the Albanese Government is making sure that they can unlock energy and emissions savings.
“With ARENA’s expertise, this grant will not only help Brown Family Wine scope and pioneer innovative energy saving upgrades but demonstrate the technology to help the Australian wine industry decarbonise and become more competitive.”