The “La Louvière” vineyard in the south of France always strives to produce the best possible wines, but it is also aware of its responsibility towards the environment. The company’s own photovoltaic system combines these two efforts: part of the photovoltaic power generated is used to cool the wines.
What is also exciting about the system is that the solar modules are oriented towards three different points of the compass and still generate optimum energy yields.
In the Carcassonne region, 300 days of sunshine provide perfect conditions for the cultivation of fruity and fresh white and red wines. The region’s unique microclimate produces exceptional wines. During the storage period, they require a constant temperature of 10° - 14°C, so outside temperatures of up to 40°C pose a major challenge for producers trying to maintain this climate.
In order to ensure the necessary temperature in a resource-conserving way, the owner of the „La Louvière“ vineyard decided to install a photovoltaic system on the roofs of their enterprise. The bottles are cooled using the self-generated solar power, which demonstrates the major strength of combining photovoltaics and cooling systems. As outside temperatures rise, more cooling is required. At the same time, the PV system produces enough electricity to power the cooling system from solar energy.
There is often a false belief that a PV system can only function if the solar modules are south-facing. The photovoltaic system at the „La Louvière“ vineyard proves the opposite: the modules were mounted facing three different points of the compass on seven different roofs.
Thanks to the intelligent technology of the Fronius inverters, there is no loss of electricity yield with this installation.
The system costs pay off extremely quickly. |
Info box: |
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System size: | Approx. 100 kWp |
Fronius products: | 8 x Fronius Symo inverters |
Special feature: |
Installation on 7 different roofs Three different points of the compass Three different types of roof structure |