Solar Power for Great Spanish Wines

A winery is committed to renewable energy

Toward a Climate-Friendly Winery: Responsible Viticulture for Great Spanish Wines with a Small Carbon Footprint

Winemaker Álvaro Gil Vera

A pioneer in the use of solar energy in Spanish wine production

Generating and Using Solar Energy On-Site: The Viñas Familia Gil winery group demonstrates how SMA technology can help reduce energy costs and increase self-consumption of solar power. Winemaker Álvaro Gil Vera demonstrates how his family business combines growth with the generation and use of renewable energy.

The Story: A Winery Rich in Tradition with Modern Solar Technology

The Gil family owns more than 2,000 hectares of vineyards throughout Spain. Many of them are over 150 years old and produce renowned premium red wines such as El NIDO, MAS DE CAN BLAU, and CLAR DEL BOSC. Tradition and progress are not mutually exclusive. Álvaro Gil Vera recognized this early on: as early as 2004, he began installing PV systems. Five of the family’s eleven wineries are now equipped with them.

In times of rising energy prices, this investment pays off more than ever.

The Goals

The Spanish winery group Viñas Familia Gil wants to use more solar power it generates itself.

The Solution

The wine producer is equipping its vineyards in various regions of Spain with photovoltaic systems that generate electricity for its own use. The company is also investing in a solar power plant that feeds large amounts of solar energy into the grid.

The result

  1. Viñas Familia Gil Significantly Reduces Its Energy Costs

  2. The company generates electricity at several wineries using its own solar power systems and consumes a portion of it on-site.

  3. In its media communications, Viñas Familia Gil consistently highlights its commitment to renewable energy

The Gil family enjoys wine from their own vineyard
The Gil family enjoys wine from their own vineyard

Solar Power and Organic Viticulture at Viñas Familia Gil

Viñas Familia Gil has several goals. Its organic wine production now accounts for over 60 percent of its annual output, and further expansion plays an important role within the company. With its five existing facilities and the solar park in Jumilla, in the Murcia region, which recently began operations and generates approximately 1,500 MWh of energy per year, the winery group reports that, on balance, it produces more electricity than it consumes at its eleven wineries, and feeds the surplus electricity into the grid.

The commitment to organic viticulture and solar energy also offers opportunities in the areas of communication and brand promotion: The Hijos de Juan Gil winery is part of a select group of only three Spanish wineries with Plus certification in the “Spanish Wineries for Emission Reduction” (WfCP+). These winemakers have committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Solar Power Plant in Jumilla
Solar Power Plant in Jumilla

“Our first PV system was designed by SMA Solar Partner Konery. He recommended SMA as the best option on the market. We had references indicating that SMA was a financially sound company with a good reputation and an international focus. That’s why we decided to embark on this new path with SMA. Encouraged by the positive results, we’ve built all subsequent PV systems using SMA equipment. We believe that was the best decision we could have made.”

Álvaro Gil Vera

Winemaker Álvaro Gil Vera, with his grapevines in the background

The SMA System at the Hijos de Juan Gil Winery

One system. Everything from a single source.

The SMA Commercial Energy Solution at the Hijos de Juan Gil winery offers a comprehensive package: high-quality, perfectly coordinated components and user-friendly solutions for monitoring and control. This is crucial for the business owner. The modular design allowed him to get started at a low cost and made it easy to expand the system later on.

2016
2022

Solar Power Generation and Off-Grid Capability

In June 2016, solar power was used for the first time at the Hijos de Juan Gil winery. The solar system there features six SMA Sunny Tripower 25000 inverters. The winery also invested in 18 SMA Sunny Island 8.0 battery inverters and numerous batteries. A generator kicks in during emergencies to cover peak demand. This ensures the winery is self-sufficient and its production is protected from power outages.

Thanks to this integrated energy system, not only do the grapes ripen using the power of the sun, but their processing is also powered by solar energy. According to project data, the energy system generates an annual energy yield of approximately 95 megawatt-hours (MWh).

Equipment Room with Sunny Island battery inverters and batteries
Equipment Room with Sunny Island battery inverters and batteries

From the Grape Harvest to the Solar Harvest

In 2022, Álvaro Gil Vera and the winery group continued to expand their organic wine production. At the same time, the company invested in expanding its energy supply. Even though production at the Hijos de Juan Gil winery was already largely powered by self-generated solar electricity and operated off-grid, the wine producer invested in a solar power plant in Jumilla: A total of nine Sunny Tripower CORE2 inverters generate approximately 1,500 MWh per year there. They feed electricity into the public grid via the Sunny Portal and the EnnexOs portal, using a smart energy management system. This provides an additional source of revenue.

Solar Power Plant in Jumilla with SMA Sunny Tripower CORE2 Inverters
Solar Power Plant in Jumilla with SMA Sunny Tripower CORE2 Inverters