As a result of a very successful collaboration in March 2021 between the Perinet Winery and solar energy specialists Solar in Spain, 99% of the vineyard’s electrical demand was provided by their new solar PV and battery installation during the first 3 months that the system was in operation. 90% financed by Ecrowd, the sustainable crowdfunding platform, all the money was raised in just 3 days!
"The key aim for the energy system at Perinet was to achieve a solution which would be maintenance free, eliminate ongoing costs for the customer and also support their commitment to sustainability".
Located approximately 90 mins from Barcelona, Perinet Winery is a spectacular and unique asset to the small, mountainous region of DOQ Priorat. It seems that the original developers have achieved their vision ¨to invest in a premium winery and a tourist destination of excellence¨. The vineyards are built on technologically advanced terraces, with a high-density plantation and as a result, Perinet has become a beautiful, stylish and modern winery located in a very traditional region. Given the history, it was inevitable that Perinet would look to develop a clean and renewable energy facility, reducing their CO2 emissions by 96 tons per year and eliminating the noise pollution produced from their diesel generator.
Invertor & battery bank installed at Perinet
Vincent Burke, Technical Director of Solar in Spain says ¨the key aim for the energy system at Perinet was to achieve a solution which would be maintenance free, eliminate ongoing costs for the customer and also support their commitment to sustainability¨.
The off-grid renewable energy installation consisted of an 82.56kW PV solar system with 192 x 430 Watt Longi Solar Photovoltaic panels and Pylontech batteries with a total storage of 144kW. Located on the roof of the vineyard with an aluminium structural support system, the panels have the optimal position to maximise performance whilst being completely hidden from view. Along with providing technical support to the Perinet maintenance department, Solar in Spain has implemented some incredible features which can be utilised by all companies adopting similar energy systems.
The solar system at the winery has a life expectancy of 30 years and Solar in Spain will monitor both the system performance and the energy consumption. They will also make annual visits to the site to inspect & maintain the components, providing regular reports and offering advice where needed.
Since the installation in March 2021 the system has provided 99% of the total energy demand at the site. Not only is the project having a positive environmental impact, but it also comes with some hefty cost-savings too, severely reducing the €60,000 average annual cost of fossil fuel and potentially eliminating the leasing cost of a back-up 200 kVA generator.
The ground-breaking project at the Perinet Winery was part of a crowd funding project by the ECrowd Community (www.ecrowdinvest.com) who specialise in providing finance for all types of sustainable projects. As Jordi Solé Muntada, director of ECrowd explains ¨The benefits of the Ecrowd platform consist in connecting companies and investors in a quick, transparent, and easy way, providing affordable financing to companies and greater profitability to investors. There are no intermediaries, no banks, and they operate quickly and with total transparency¨. With some investor incentives in place the projects funds were achieved in just 3 days, a fantastic outcome for everyone involved.
