EnergyRefrigeration & cold chain

Energy efficiency to cut refrigeration & cold chain emissions

The reduction potential, measured

72 /100

Time horizon: 1–2 seasons

How it cuts it

Insulation and efficient cooling equipment directly reduce cold-chain consumption.

What to measure for this pairing

Cooling kWh per bottleCooling efficiency

Why this source matters

Refrigeration is an often-underestimated source: cooling ferments, cold-stabilising and storing wine consume a lot of energy, especially in warm climates. Beyond consumption, refrigerant leaks have a very high warming potential.

Improving insulation, the efficiency of cooling equipment and refrigerant management — and powering the cold with renewable energy — reduces this source significantly.

Source indicators

kWh of cooling per bottleRefrigerant leaks (kg)Cooling equipment efficiency

Scope & reporting: Combines Scope 1 (refrigerant leaks) and Scope 2 (energy) in a complete inventory.

How to implement the lever

  1. 1Audit consumption and identify the biggest uses.
  2. 2Insulate, switch to LED and optimise motors and pumps.
  3. 3Recover heat and improve maintenance.
  4. 4Track consumption per bottle over time.

Frequently asked

Where to start?

With measurement: without knowing where energy goes, it is hard to prioritise. Refrigeration and bottling are usually the biggest.

Efficiency or renewable first?

Ideally both — reducing consumption makes the switch to renewables cheaper and more effective.

Same lever, other sources

Same source, other leversRefrigeration

Related reading →Bottling yield: how many bottles and cases will a tank give you?

How GrapeFlow helps

The footprint per bottle and per season, always up to date — the basis of any low-carbon report.

Energy & fuels (invoices by OCR)

Electricity, diesel and other fuels captured from invoices, with consumption per kWh, per litre and per bottle.

Carbon footprint per bottle & season

GrapeFlow gathers energy, fuel, packaging and inputs and computes the footprint per bottle and per season — the basis of any report or low-carbon label.

Vineyard operations & inputs applied

Machine passes, diesel and inputs (nitrogen, treatments) logged by plot — the vineyard’s Scope 1 and 3 emissions.