Case Study G&E Winery

385 Words2 Pages
WINERY’S DEMAND RESPONSE PROJECTS PAY FOR THEMSELVES For wineries, the crush period between August and October is the most energy-intensive time of year. Since it partly overlaps with California’s period of peak energy demand, wineries’ participation in demand response programs makes a particularly large impact both on these customers’ energy costs and on the state’s electric supply reliability. E. & J. Gallo Winery is one of the largest winemakers in the U.S. and the leading U.S. wine exporter. Like many food processors, Gallo must continuously refrigerate its perishable products. The company’s need for reliable refrigeration has historically limited its ability to participate in Demand Response, a PG&E program that notifies participating customers to temporarily reduce their energy usage when the state’s energy demand is high. Through technical assistance, PG&E helped Gallo find smart energy solutions, such as installing automated controls on their refrigeration. PG&E’s Demand Response Technical Incentives paid the full cost of the new control systems. Now Gallo can earn additional incentives by participating when Demand Response events are called. ENERGY-EFFICIENCY AUDITS IDENTIFY SAVINGS Gallo has taken advantage of PG&E’s programs and services to identify and implement energy-efficiency projects since 1990. Early energy-efficiency improvements at the Fresno facility, including retrofits to its refrigeration system, process boilers, and an oversized high-capacity condenser, saved 4.7 million kilowatt hours of electricity and 144,000 therms per year, and reduced ongoing electric demand by over 1,000 kilowatts. These measures earned nearly a half million dollars in rebates from PG&E over several years. In 2001, Gallo received its first comprehensive energy audit from a PG&E-hired consultant, which resulted in the
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