Energy: Vinitaly, ENEA presented guide for energy efficiency in wineries

ENEA presented a guide at Vinitaly 2026 in Verona to help Italian wineries reduce energy consumption and improve productivity. Confimi Industria, which collaborated on the event, will help disseminate the identified solutions among businesses in the wine industry.

The guide categorizes interventions by technological maturity: established cross-cutting technologies, systems to optimize the production process and emerging technologies. Precise technical and economic indicators are provided for each solution: required investment, expected energy savings and payback period.

“In a global market increasingly focused on sustainability, the adoption of responsible energy practices is a key factor in competitive positioning”,  pointed out Ilaria Bertini, director of the ENEA Energy Efficiency Department. “This guide” she said “demonstrates how collaboration between the research community and the production sector is a crucial mechanism for transforming technological innovation into a concrete and measurable business advantages”.

The guide was developed as part of the 2025–2027 three-year Electrical System Research program (Project 1.6) to help companies reduce energy consumption and it is designed as an operational “roadmap” for integrating technological innovations and management optimizations throughout the entire production process.

“Behind Italian wine’s international leadership lies a cost that is often underestimated: energy. The goal is clear: lower consumption, lower energy costs and greater business competitiveness” explained Biagio Di Pietra, head of the ENEA Laboratory for Integrated Energy Efficiency Solutions and co-author of the guide alongside researcher Alessandro Tallini. “Ultimately” he said “it is a tool that translates the complexity of technical solutions into operational choices that are easily applicable by businesses”.

The analysis of actual energy consumption in Italian wineries, conducted in collaboration with oenologist Mario Ragusa of the Regional Institute of Wine and Oil of the Sicilian Region, shows significant room for improvement. Approximately 90% of the energy used in wineries is electricity, while refrigeration and temperature control systems account for about 50% of total consumption. Many of the efficiency measures examined have short payback periods, making the investment economically viable.

Italian wine is a cornerstone of the "Made in Italy" brand, around the world. The wine sector is a pillar of the national economy, with a turnover of 14.3 billion euros and record-breaking exports, which exceeded 8 billion euro in 2024.

Energy consumption in the Italian wine sector is significant, with annual energy requirement estimated at over 500 million kWh posing a financial burden on small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up about 80% of the sector.

Rounding out the event at Vinitaly, a B2B space allowed entrepreneurs and industry operators to meet with ENEA researchers to explore energy efficiency opportunities applicable to production processes.