Cline Cellars Raises Its Glass to Energy Savings
The
Business: Located in the renowned grape-growing region
of Sonoma County, Cline Cellars is one of the few family-owned wineries
that competes in the / per bottle price range with large corporate wineries.
“Many of our competitors are much larger wineries,” said Peggy
Phelan, operations manager for Cline Cellars.
The
Challenge:
To stay competitive in price and product, Cline Cellars must reduce costs
without sacrificing quality.
The
Solution: The Small Business Energy Alliance helped Cline
Cellars reduce their operating costs by replacing energy guzzling incandescent
lamps and T-12 lighting with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps
and modern T-8 and T-5 fluorescent lighting. “We now have brighter,
more natural-looking light, but we’re using less energy,”
said Peggy. “Our employees noticed the dramatic improvement in lighting
right away.”
The
Savings:
By upgrading to energy-efficient lighting in two fermentation buildings
and the warehouse, Cline Cellars will be saving an estimated 62,000-kilowatt
hours of energy each year. That adds up to nearly $9,000 in annual energy
savings.
Green
Commitment:
Cline Cellars showed their commitment to the environment by becoming a
Sonoma County Green Business (www.greenbiz.abag.ca.gov). Green wineries,
such as Cline, comply with all environmental regulations and adopt pollution
prevention and resource conservation practices.
The energy-efficient
lighting is just one way that Cline Cellars is living up to that commitment.
The energy-saving lighting will reduce the emission of carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere by more than 47,000 pounds a year.
The
Bottom Line:
Since the Small Business Energy Alliance’s Energy Savers Program
paid for 75% of the installation cost with public goods funding, the new
lighting at Cline Cellars will pay for itself in less than six months.
“Thanks to the Small Business Energy Alliance, productivity and
profits are up, and we’re doing our part to keep Sonoma County green,”
explained Peggy.
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