Just as wine is often best enjoyed years after its original bottling, Kendall-Jackson Winery expects to see the benefits of an energy-efficient lighting solution for years to come. The California winery aims to save more than $100,000 annually in energy and maintenance costs as a result of an energy efficiency program that features innovative new lighting from GE Consumer & Industrial.
“We are taking a holistic approach to increasing energy efficiency,” says Robert Boller, vice president of sustainability for Kendall-Jackson. “Beyond changing out the lights, we are hoping to be an example of environmental stewardship. Making smart choices at every decision point allows us to have the lowest environmental impact with the highest efficiency.”
Kendall-Jackson’s Kittyhawk location, a central production and storage facility in Santa Rosa, Calif., provided the main stage for the lighting retrofit. The 11.5-acre location includes a high-bay area that contains mostly barrels and cased goods, and a low-bay area that houses production and bottling operations. The facility’s previous lighting design relied on a 400-watt metal halide system throughout.
Building a team of energy-focused leaders
A focus on quality led Kendall-Jackson to engage Energy Industries and GE in 2008 to develop ideas for energy-focused projects. The team identified Kendall-Jackson’s lighting as a primary target and met with lighting engineers at the GE Lighting and Electrical Institute in Cleveland to formulate the best possible lighting solution.
“Our meeting of the minds effectively closed the loop on all the brainstorms, debates and discussions that Kendall-Jackson conducted in search of the optimal solution,” says John Strainic, global lighting product general manager, GE Consumer & Industrial.
The result was a customized approach segmenting each area according to use, incorporating GE’s combined lamp-ballast solution with MetalOptics’ Greenbay fixtures, a high-intensity fluorescent solution that couples energy savings with environmental savings by significantly reducing packaging, material waste, weight, floor space requirements and installation times.
Kendall-Jackson opted for the GE T5 Watt-Miser system with shatter-resistant covRguard technology in more active areas such as bottling and blending, and GE Ecolux T8 fluorescent lamps in case goods and barrel storage areas. NEMA Premium UltraStart high-efficiency ballasts from GE are at work in all locations.
“This segmented lighting design allows Kendall-Jackson to maximize functionality while minimizing energy costs,” explains Eric Leber, regional manager of Energy Industries. “Areas with lower light requirements were adjusted to meet their exact application and provide even greater returns.”
The path to even greater efficiency
“At Kendall-Jackson, our business principles hinge upon hard work, integrity, an uncompromising desire for quality and the long-term stewardship of the land,” says Boller. “We see this lighting retrofit as a milestone in our energy efficiency program.”
Kendall-Jackson has the lighting systems in all the production areas of its Kittyhawk facility on controls. For example, it uses sensor shields in certain areas to limit false activations, so forklifts operating up and down the aisles won’t trip fixtures even 10 feet away. “That translates to more energy savings,” notes Boller. In addition, Kendall-Jackson is considering how Energy Industries and GE’s breadth of experience in areas such as efficient lighting, solar, wind, motors and drives could further increase the energy efficiency of its operations.
The successful lighting upgrade at Kendall-Jackson’s Kittyhawk location is now serving as the model for additional lighting upgrades across more than a dozen facilities, including wine tasting rooms, warehouses, offices and exterior applications.
“We are continuing to identify and shape the best long-term energy solutions for Kendall-Jackson,” says Boller. “There’s so much more that we’re looking to accomplish.”
About Kendall-Jackson Winery
Family-owned Kendall-Jackson Winery has crafted quality wines for nearly three decades. To learn more about Kendall-Jackson wines, visit www.kj.com.
About Energy Industries
Energy Industries LLC is a national energy project development company that provides comprehensive energy-efficiency and renewable energy solutions to its corporate clients. Specializing in “whole building” programs, the company helps businesses significantly reduce energy consumption through intelligent system design and equipment upgrades. Energy Industries uniquely combines energy-saving measures with photovoltaic renewable energy for holistic energy programs.
Headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, the company has offices throughout the West Coast.
About GE Consumer & Industrial
GE Consumer & Industrial spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliances, lighting and integrated industrial equipment, systems and services. Providing solutions for commercial, industrial and residential use in more than 100 countries, GE Consumer & Industrial uses innovative technologies and ecomagination, a GE initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that help customers and consumers meet pressing environmental challenges, to deliver comfort, convenience and electrical protection and control.
