Viña Cousiño Macul inaugurates a photovoltaic project that will mitigate the emission of 200 tons of CO2 per year into the atmosphere

In addition, the initiative located in its Peñalolén vineyard injects energy into the system to be used by other people connected to the network.

With the installation and commissioning of a 265KW solar panel system located on 1,550 m2, Viña Cousiño Macul inaugurated its first photovoltaic project, with the aim of mitigating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated by the consumption of electrical energy.

The photovoltaic system is located in three sectors of its vineyard located in the commune of Peñalolén: on the roof of the corporate offices and the visitor parking lots, and next to “Cuartel 20”. The latter corresponds to a sector that is dedicated to the implementation and research of organic agricultural practices.
“In 2019, we started this initiative in our Peñalolén vineyard, since it has a lot of land with a lot of sun exposure, and the truth is that it has been very rewarding. Not only does it allow us as a company to generate renewable and clean energy, but it also allows us to inject it into the system for our neighbors to consume,” says Nicolás Garib, General Manager of Viña Cousiño Macul.

The photovoltaic plant generates approximately 370 MWh of electrical energy, of which the company consumes approximately half, which corresponds to more than 50% of its total electrical consumption. The remaining energy is injected into the system so that it can be used by other users on the grid. If we consider that 1 MWh (1,000 KWh) of renewable energy mitigates 550 kg of CO2 emissions into the environment, Cousiño Macul would mitigate 203 tons of CO2 annually, which is equivalent to planting 5,200 trees in one year.

“ We are a company with more than 160 years of history and we feel like heirs to a legacy that goes beyond just wine production: we have to aim for conscious viticulture with care for the environment because the land is the basis of our industry. Today more than ever we are seeing the devastating effects of climate change and we must become agents of change ,” says Verónica Cousiño, Commercial Manager of Viña Cousiño Macul and part of the seventh family generation that is currently working in the vineyard.
Composting, recycling, planting covered crops and flowers between rows are just some of the projects that the Sustainability Department of Viña Cousiño Macul is developing and implementing in its vineyards, and which they hope to perfect and enhance in the face of a future that looks challenging in environmental terms.