Energy efficient wine-making in Worcestershire
Local authority business support grant helps award-winning Astley Vineyard cut costs and reduce its carbon footprint
Astley Vineyard is a family-run estate in the Severn Valley, first planted in 1971 – one of the oldest working vineyards in the UK. But it’s recently invested in some very new tech thanks to a business support grant funded by Worcestershire County Council.
Tim Harwood, Owner of Astley Vineyard; photo courtesy of Worcestershire County Council
The money has been used to replace air-conditioning units with a more efficient modern model and to install solar panels on the wine warehouse.
What’s more, the estate has implemented the recommendations from the council’s free energy-saving review, raised their electrical equipment and machinery to a grade ‘A’ or ‘B’ standard. Overall, thanks to this investment, the vineyard has been able to transform its sustainable business practices, at once cutting costs and its carbon footprint.
Tim Haywood, Owner of Astley Vineyard, says: ‘Astley Vineyard’s energy costs have been transformed following support from Worcestershire County Council. We commissioned a free energy audit in 2022 and this identified that the best action we could take was the installation of solar panels on top of our two warehouses.
‘Funding from the council was vital to making this happen. Together with changes in our behaviours around energy usage, we have lowered our electricity bills in 2024 to less than half of those in 2022. The payback period for our investment will be much shorter than we anticipated. Overall, we are delighted!’
Cllr Emma Stokes, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for the Environment at Worcestershire Country Council, says: ‘Supporting businesses in implementing low carbon practices can enable them to cut their carbon emissions whilst saving on energy costs.
‘Astley Vineyard is a perfect example of how our business support grants can fuel innovation whilst enabling businesses to take on more sustainable practices. We are dedicated to investing in our county’s infrastructure and I would encourage all Worcestershire businesses to look into the grants that we have on offer.’
The county council offers business support and grants to all manner of local businesses, from start-ups to high-growth enterprises, to help them develop and thrive. For more information, see the council’s website.
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