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.