Lange Twins Wineryof Acampo near Lodi has demonstrated that significant environmental, operational and cost savings benefits can be achieved through winery planning and design and the installation of energy efficient equipment and products.

Lange Twins' partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and participation in the utility's "Savings by Design" program was highlighted during an Earth Day celebration in April, with the presentation of a check to Lange Twins principals Randy and Brad Lange from PG&E representatives Janice Berman and Patsy Dugger for $968,137 in utility rebates for energy efficiency measures installed at the winery. The event also highlighted the partnership between the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) and PG&E, which partnered with Lange Twins that day to host an energy efficiency and green building seminar for wine industry members along with tours of the winery facility.

Lange Twins worked closely with PG&E's Stockton office account executive Phil Pennino during the winery planning, design and construction phases. Pennino served as liaison for the Savings by Design program that works with businesses to provide facility design assistance, guide the incentive application and agreement process, verify installation of energy efficiency measures, and deliver incentive payments when program requirements are met.

Randy Lange said, "The expertise given to us from Phil and PG&E through the Savings by Design program was of such great service, it would have been worth it even without the cash incentives."

Energy Efficiency Measures

The largest portion of the Lange Twins rebate was $651,000 for the winery's PV solar system with a 230 KW generation capacity. The newest PV array, above the crush pad area that provides shade for workers sorting grapes and loading presses during crush, is the first installation in California using bifacial PV panels that generate power from overhead sunlight, as well as from ambient and reflected light on the underside of the PV panel to increase efficiency and overall generation capacity. Lange Twins is the first known agricultural application of bifacial PV.

The main PV array is on the roof of the cellar building, and the total system generates about 40 percent of the winery's electric power needs, about 630,000 KWH per year, and provides about $76,000 in electrical cost savings per year based on current PG&E rates. The rooftop panels also increase the roof insulation value to R-33, another significant boost in energy savings.

The Langes also received rebates for the following installed energy efficiency measures:

•   PolarClad wine tank insulation, a 3-inch layer of polystyrene foam on the outer tank wall covered with white-colored sheet metal, covers 42 outdoor stainless steel fermentation tanks, each with 46,000-gallons capacity. The insulation provides 47,000 KWH per year average savings per tank, with corresponding electricity cost savings of $5,600 per tank. The PG&E rebate was $6,531 per tank or more than $270,000 total.

•   High-efficiency lighting in the cellar with occupancy sensors and staged lighting levels allow lower intensity for walking around--and higher intensity when in specific work areas. Cellar lighting saves 22,000 KWH per year and $2,700 in electric costs and received a $1,118 rebate.

•   A high-efficiency, 185-ton capacity AAON water-cooled chiller provides staged compressor operation of eight compressors. This is the winery's primary year-round refrigeration system capable of handling variable loads. The system saves 165,000 KWH per year and $19,000 per year in electric costs and received a $23,228 rebate.

•   A high-efficiency hot water boiler saves $1,800 per year in energy costs and received a $1,562 rebate. This system also saves water as it provides on-demand hot water throughout the winery without the need to run water at a faucet to warm up.

•   Variable frequency drives (VFDs) on two Atlas Copco air compressors with capacities of 185 psi and 153 psi provide the ability to add capacity as needed for the winery's pneumatic presses. The VFDs provide annual cost savings of almost $18,000 and received a $11,984 rebate.

•   Wastewater system pump motors with staged VFDs save 38,000 KWH per year and about $4,600 per year in electric costs and received rebates of $13,053.

Pennino noted that VFDs, also on the winery's well pump motors, are an effective way to save energy in wineries and other industrial plants, allowing motors to ramp-up and operate based on demand. VFDs throughout the Lange Twins Winery save about 150,000 KWH per year.

Economically, Environmentally Sustainable

As a result of installing energy efficient measures over and above baseline levels for standard equipment, the winery saves more than $130,000 a year on utility bills, reduces overall facility electrical usage by over 1 million KWH per year and reduces water use and the winery's carbon footprint. Pennino said most of the installed measures have a 3-year or less payback based on energy cost savings, except for the PV solar systems that have a 5- to 7-year payback.

Lange Twins Winery produces wines under the Lange Twins label but a majority of the winery's capacity is occupied by custom crush clients. The facility has a permitted capacity of 40,000 tons with a 20-year option to grow to that level. The winery started operation in 2006 and crushed 15,000 tons in 2008. Lange Twins also owns and manages 7,000 acres of vineyards. Brad and Randy are the fourth generation of the Lange Family to farm in the Lodi region, and their children, the fifth generation, are actively involved in the family business.

The Langes are active in CSWA's Sustainable Winegrowing Program and with the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission's (LWWC) sustainable viticulture program that includes the "Lodi Winegrower's Workbook" and the "Lodi Rules!" certification program for sustainably-farmed vineyards. As Brad explained, "Sustainability is a multi-generational venture and adventure, and we take our environmental responsibility very seriously. This winemaking facility was built to add to the economic margin of our farm's bottom line, so it has to be economically sustainable as well."

Since 2005, CSWA and PG&E have co-sponsored 25 energy management workshops attended by 750 wine industry members. During this period, California wineries have undertaken 359 energy efficiency projects that have been awarded $6.25 million in PG&E rebates. These projects have resulted in wineries saving 55 million kilowatt hours (KWH) in electricity and eliminated 30,371 tons of CO2 emissions, equal to removing 4,226 cars from the road for one year.

Since the CSWA and PG&E partnership began, winery solar projects have increased significantly, with 53 grid-connected installations completed that have received $14.6 million in PG&E incentives--and another 49 projects are being planned. Berman, PG&E senior director of customer energy efficiency, solar and product development, noted that PG&E now has 25,000 customers with installed solar systems connected to the utility's grid, which is about one-half of all the grid-connected solar systems in the U.S.

"Lange Twins winery has shown great leadership in sustainability and in energy efficiency, and through energy audits, installation of solar systems and energy efficiency projects, California wineries are demonstrating real leadership in the fight against global climate change," Berman said.

CSWA's general workshops held throughout the state using the California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Workbook have been attended by 1,500 growers and winery representatives who have gone through the workbook self-assessment process. This represents more than 60 percent of the state's winery case production and grape growing acreage. The statewide workbook includes a full chapter on energy efficiency management.

Information on PG&E's program can be found at www.savingbydesign.com. Information about PG&E energy management incentives, audits and programs for wineries is at www.pge.com/agfood.  Information on CSWA's program, workbook and workshops is at www.sustainablewinegrowing.org.  For more on the Lodi Winegrape Commission, visit www.lodiwine.com.  wbm

Roger Lansing is a freelance writer and photographer based in Sacramento, California.