Casella Family Brands—owner of iconic Australian wines including [yellow tail] wine, Peter Lehmann Wines, Brand’s Laira of Coonawarra, Baileys of Glenrowan and Morris of Rutherglen—has switched on the largest solar power facility in the Australian beverage sector.
The facility will provide clean, renewable electricity to the company’s largest winemaking site in Yenda New South Wales, which is home to the world-famous [yellow tail] wine.
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Through a staggering 8,730 solar panels, it is capable of generating 11.53GWh of clean electricity per year. This will offset 7800 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which is enough to meet the electricity needs of approximately 1,900 Australian homes, or equivalent to planting 325,000 trees.
The announcement underpins the company’s broader sustainability plan. The new state-of-the-art solar facility is the first step in the company’s pathway to reducing net-zero emissions by 50% by 2030, and achieving 100% by 2050.
The solar farm will provide approximately 35% of the Yenda site’s electricity. The site will use all the clean electricity the solar system produces, therefore reducing the company’s environmental impact.
The facility features a two-panel tracking system incorporating a smart algorithm that optimises the positioning of the solar panels to allow for maximum sun exposure and energy generation year-round.
The facility will also power Casella Family Brands’ onsite brewery, home of the Australian Beer Company and its brands including Yenda Brewing Co., Son of a Nun and Pressman’s Cider.
In addition, Casella Family Brands has invested in a second solar system. This facility will provide clean energy to power the wastewater treatment plant and is capable of generating 890.47MWh of electricity per year. Consisting of 936 panels, it boasts 20-degree fixed tilt mounting selected for maximum generation and will contribute approximately 30% of the facility’s electricity needs.
Casella Family Brands founder and managing director John Casella said, “I’m extremely proud to unveil our investment in clean electricity through our two new solar systems. As well as reducing our footprint, we are making a direct contribution to the Australian wine industry’s GHG emissions reduction goals via the products we make and supply, as we all strive to ensure a sustainable global wine sector.
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“As a family-owned business, we’re committed to playing a role in ensuring the resilience of the Australian wine industry for generations to come. This includes investing in the regions where we operate, supporting our growers during challenging market conditions and making strategic decisions to ensure our business is set up for long-term success.”
Both solar facilities were developed and constructed by Australia’s leading engineering, procurement, and construction company Next Generation Electrical.
