1. A Low-Cost, Easy to Implement Sensor System to
Underpin Modern Winery Sustainability Schemes and
Third-Party Financing
Alastair Reed1, Mark Matthews2, Dan Moscovici3
1Melbourne Polytechnic
2 Vincubator Melbourne
3 Stockton

2. Background
• Nearly 2500 wineries in Australia earning $5.3 billion
• Annual crush of 1.7 million tonnes
• No cohesive sustainability scheme, voluntary or involuntary

3. Certification process

4. Certification process

5. Example: Water

6. Example: Water

7. Example: Water

8. Example: Water

9. Example: Water
Where do I start?
Institutional inertia.
How do I set it up?
Technical detail.
How do I relate it
to individual
activities?
Resolution.
How much is too
much?
Benchmark.

10. The mission
• Develop a water monitoring system for less than US$200
• Requirements…
• Easy to setup
• Accurately logs usage and user
• Easy to access and analyse data
• Easy to fix
• Has a cool name

11. Logging usage
1” flowmeter – $31.00
Arduino microcontroller – $30.00
Chromebook – $50.00/system

12. Logging user
• RFID/NFC to remove the need for log books
RFID/NFC wristband - $3.95 RFID/NFC board for microcontroller - $39.95
Total cost – $153.90

13. Is it worth it?
• Needs to pass the financing test
• Scenario
• Convert tank washing protocol from a rinse-caustic-citric-rinse cycle (RCCA) to
a pressure rinse-ozone cycle (O3)
• Equipment cost
• RCCA - $3
• O3 - $4300

14. Predicted Surveyed* Measured
RCCA 2376 1110 450
O3 1080 420 125
*survey of 21 winemakers
Predicted Surveyed* Measured
RCCA $955.16 $492.49 $308.27
O3 $448.83 $292.83 $96.93
*$2.60 - $2.6621 per 1000 litres
$201.34 saving per vintage
Is it worth it?
Costs of vintage water use – tank, bin and floor cleaning
Example: Water use for maintaining a tank (1 cycle)
Status quo…
Pay-off period – 21 years
To move into lease window…
Pay-off period – 7 years
Rate increase – 2.5X
Equipment subsidy – 60%
Government subsidy of $2580 required to
produce financial incentive to improve
efficiency
Note: A rate increase of 2.5X only brings it into line with
domestic rate
Same problem that was the facing solar industry –
utility is too cheap. Also, delivery charges are fixed not
volumetric.

15. Summary
• An easy, accurate and powerful flow meter system can be
implemented in a winery for US$150 per tap
• High resolution monitoring – can link to batch and activity
• Is yet to have a cool name
• Industry estimates are inaccurate and over-estimate usage
• Financing is not possible without market manipulation
• Subsidy of 60%
• Increase in wholesale price to retail price