The wine sector and solar energy

How is technology helping to protect the wine sector from climate change?

Photovoltaic energy Climate action Climate change

Warmer temperatures due to climate change have an impact on the chemistry of grapes and the conditions in which they grow. An agrovoltaic pilot project in Toledo (Spain) is testing how renewable energy can help mitigate the impact of global warming, increase grape quality and crop sustainability.

Wine is one of the products most affected by the effects of climate change due to its sensitivity to temperature changes and extreme weather events.

Protecting wine from climate change

  • Climate change is a major threat to the wine sector due to the sensitivity of grapes to temperature and seasonal changes. Spain, with 15 % of all the world's vineyards, is seeing many of its high-quality wine-producing lands being rendered virtually unusable by extreme weather events and rising temperatures.

  • Competition in the sector has led to the use of precision farming, which involves the use of new technologies to increase the quantity and quality of production, making maximum use of resources and minimising environmental impact. 

  • However, precision agriculture also increases the need for energy. In response, Iberdrola and Viticulture have initiated a solar panel project in their vineyards in Toledo to reduce consumption and CO2 emissions, as well as to gather key data for system improvements.

  • This initiative, known as Winesolar, is part of our agrovoltaic projects, with the aim of combining agriculture with renewable energies, making greater use of the land and helping to make agriculture more sustainable.

  • The implementation of the system aims to draw relevant conclusions about the ripening of the grapes. For Teresa Ojanguren, Iberdrola's technology expert, this is key: "This will allow us to perfect this innovative system and replicate it in other vineyards. It is a great opportunity to take this technology to other wine markets". This has already happened in the United States, where there are already more than 10,000 wineries and the expectation is that this number will continue to grow.

Source: FT