The Gloden family winery is located in the traditional wine village of Schengen and has been in operation since the 18th century. Today, Nicolas Gloden runs the business. Along the Moselle, the family cultivates the entire range of classic Luxembourg grape varieties – from Elbling and Rivaner to Pinot Noir.
Idea
An unconventional model of cooperation : how solar energy brings businesses together
Pioneering Luxembourg’s energy transition, winegrower Nicolas Gloden took the bold step of creating his own energy community.
By installing several photovoltaic systems and founding a non-profit organisation (ASBL), he is creating a sustainable network. This enables the direct exchange of electricity generated with various users located in other regions of the country, for example with the Belle Vue hotel in Vianden, which purchases surplus energy. This optimises the use of resources, reduces costs and strengthens regional value creation.
Design
Planning, partnership, and production: key steps of the project
Research and guidance: Nicolas Gloden attended information events organised by Klima-Agence and further informed himself about their information platform and how the implementation is supposed to take place.
Networking: partnership with Hotel Belle Vue in Vianden to sell excess electricity, enabling the distribution of resources among partner companies.
Infrastructure: the first photovoltaic system was installed in just a single day in July 2024.
Implementation
Formalisation and regulation: bringing the community to life
Creation of a non-profit association (ASBL) to officially establish the energy community.
Rapid approval of the project by the ILR (Luxembourg Regulatory Institute).
Implementation of a national sharing group, allowing direct electricity exchange between community members.
Results
An inspiring example for the energy transition
Nicolas Gloden’s journey shows that with the right support, farmers and winegrowers can play an active role in the energy transition. Every kilowatt-hour produced locally makes a meaningful contribution to Luxembourg’s energy future.
Effectively manage the temperature within buildings
The ambient temperature in the workplace is essential to ensure that employees feel comfortable and can work in optimal conditions. It should be adjusted according to the activities carried out on site.
Energy consumption for heating can fluctuate depending on the weather and due to air leaks in the building envelope, especially when it’s poorly or not insulated. For more information on ways to improve the building envelope, please refer to the measure Improving the energy efficiency of the building envelope
Installation or replacement of a centralised refrigerating system
Cold production is used to cool down a room or a component, preserve food products, control the temperature of a process or ensure proper air conditioning.
Installing a centralised refrigeration unit generally offers better efficiency than a decentralised installation, reduces noise and heat disturbance in occupied rooms and frees up space in the cooled area, as the equipment is installed in a dedicated room.
However, this solution requires a higher investment and the involvement of a qualified refrigeration technician. Below are all the necessary steps to prepare for the installation of a centralised refrigeration system.
Optimisation of machine tool operation via dynamic control systems
The operation involves using dynamic control systems in machine tools fitted with Computer Numerical Control (CNC). These systems allow the operating parameters of machine tools to be adjusted in real time to optimise their performance.
This regulation is made possible with various sensors: tool temperature sensors, vibration sensors and spindle load sensors. Dynamic control systems allow cutting parameters (cutting speeds, feed rate and cutting depth) to be optimised.
The measure can lead to some reduction in electricity consumption. The installation of this technological innovation is easy to implement but requires a production shutdown and would entail a medium- to long-term return on investment, thanks to the increased service life of the tools.
In order to protect personnel from exposure to solvents and to eliminate their accumulation, thereby reducing the risk of explosion, the air inside the paint booth is filtered and extracted before being discharged into the atmosphere. The air released into the atmosphere is replaced by fresh air drawn from outside. This air is then heated and use as renewal air in the paint booth.
The measure aims to install a plate heat exchanger in the hot air extraction circuit of the paint booth to preheat the renewal air and will significantly reduce the energy consumption associated with heating this air.
The measure can lead to a substantial reduction in heating consumption and therefore also reduce the associated greenhouse gas emissions. The installation of this technological innovation requires a production shutdown for implementation and would entail a medium-to long-term return on investment.
Detecting potential compressed air leaks using an ultrasonic leak detector
From time to time, during non-production and non-operational phases, the compressor may start unexpectedly. This indicates a residual consumption of compressed air, which could suggest that the compressed air network is leaking at multiple points, resulting in energy losses.
All compressed air systems and networks, even well-maintained ones, can develop leaks, which often prove high energy-intensive and costly for companies. It is therefore recommended to carrying out annual or biannual leak detection campaigns to ensure the long-term efficiency of the production and distribution system. The most effective method for quickly detecting compressed air leaks is to use an ultrasonic leak detector which can detect and quantify the leak flow rate using its sound signature.
This measure can lead a moderate reduction in the compressor’s annual electricity consumption. This easy-to-implement technology does not require a production shutdown for leak detection and offers a fast return on investment.
The use of traditional sectional doors in the industrial and automotive sectors is often a source of significant heat loss and discomfort for personnel. This is mainly due to their high frequency of use and the length of time they remain open. Often, for the sake of simplicity and time saving, doors are left open for long periods.
Thanks to their automated opening enabled by presence detectors while minimising opening and closing times, the doors help improve indoor temperature stability and reduce temperature fluctuations. Reducing large temperature variations also prevents heating and air conditioning system from repeatedly switching on and off, which can cause malfunctions and reduce system reliability.
This measure can lead to a reduction in annual heating consumption of more than 30% and proportionally reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The installation of this easy-to-implement technology does not require a production shutdown and would offer a fast return on investment.
Replacing a gas, oil or electric arc furnace with a magnetic induction furnace
The project consists in replacing an existing furnace that runs on gas, oil or electric arc with an induction furnace using a strong alternating magnetic field, created by passing a current through a coil wound around the furnace. The magnetic field then generates a potential difference across the furnace, inducing a current in the metal. The resistance of the metal to this current generates heat (via the Joule effect), allowing it to melt.
The measure can lead to a reduction in the furnace’s energy consumption compared to other technologies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions if the replaced furnace used fossil fuels. The installation of this technological innovation requires a production shutdown and would entail a medium- to long-term return on investment.
Machining of mechanical parts with fine features and complex shapes
The measure aims to replace laser cutting and etching of mechanical parts with the photochemical machining (photo etching) process which consists of “printing” the component design onto a photoresist laminated onto a metal sheet. The areas of photoresist that have not been printed are removed, exposing the metal, which is then chemically removed.
Chemical etching, also known as photochemical machining, photochemical milling or photo etching, can be used to create complex and high-precision components with extremely tight tolerances from almost any metal.
This measure can lead to a very significant reduction in electricity consumption. The installation of this technological innovation requires a partial production shutdown for its implementation and would entail a medium- to long-term return on investment.
Remplacer une découpeuse laser CO2 par une découpeuse laser à fibre optique
This measure aims to replace a hydraulic bending machine or press brake operating with a three-phase asynchronous motor, with equivalent technology equipped with a servo motor. The hydraulic system runs continuously, even when the machine is not producing, resulting in significant and unnecessary energy consumption.
Implementing this measure can reduce electricity consumption by more than 30%. It is quite easy to carry out and does not require production shutdown. Although the technology is highly mature, energy cost savings alone may not always be sufficient for a return on investment. However, the lower the machine’s operating frequency, the greater the potential for energy and financial savings. It is therefore recommended to prioritise retrofitting machines with short operating times maximise return on investment.
