Client:
Treasury Wines
Timeframe:
September 2024 – September 2025.
Service Provided:
Managing the complex RFP process to enable selection of the optimum contract for a major rooftop solar power generation project at Treasury Wine Estates’ Matua Valley winery in Marlborough, New Zealand.
Benefits Realised:
Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) aims to be at the forefront of sustainability in the global wine industry. The b usiness has been systematically decarbonising its operations around the world en route to its goal of net zero emissions (scope 1 and 2) by 2030.
The implementation of 210 kW rooftop solar at the Matua Valley site in Marlborough represents a significant step forward – contributing to TWE hitting its global target of 100% renewable electricity whilst also reducing its annual operating costs. Thanks to a well-designed RFP process, TWE now enjoys the benefits of on-site renewable electricity in its Marlborough operations, making the most of capital and management time.
How Energy Select empowered Treasury Wine Estates to make a smart solar decision.
Cesar Chaparro is the Senior Projects & Sustainability Engineer at Treasury Wine Estates. Based in the Barossa Valley, he has helped deliver multiple on-site solar power generation projects at the company’s Australian wineries.
He has a solid understanding of the renewable energy market in Australia, including strong working relationships with key suppliers and a deep knowledge of the technical and contractual issues that drive large-scale projects in an Australian context.
The challenge with this particular project was that it was in the Marlborough region of New Zealand, geographically separate from most of Treasury Wine Estates’ operations.
Cesar described the issues he faced:
“With a project of this nature, we needed to be confident we were dealing with reputable suppliers who grasped the technical scope and could provide peace of mind.
“But we also wanted to make sure we got competitive proposals from the widest range of capable suppliers who also understand the local environment.”
Cesar says that Energy Select’s Request for Proposal (RFP) process expanded the choice of suppliers – saving time on desk-based research and analysis.
Solar selection made simple.
Energy Select is the Smart Power subsidiary that assists organisations define what they need from their energy suppliers, and steers them towards the most appropriate solutions.
It sounds simple but it can be incredibly complicated. Every business, and every site, is unique. In this case, potential partners would need to be given everything from current consumption data, roofing plans, climate data and aerial photos, as well as guidance on preferred contractual terms and any long-term goals and plans. Reference sites would be needed as proof of capability.
So, designing an RFP that facilitates a range of suppliers to deliver robust, competitive proposals takes real expertise.
Dayton Taylor of Energy Select worked with Cesar Chaparro and other members of the Treasury Wine Estates team to put together the Matua Valley RFP. He says the team knew what they wanted but they were also aware of the potential risks.
“We needed to define the ideal solution but also enable solar suppliers to bring fresh thinking and consider novel options.
“The key thing was to get a range of proposals from reputable suppliers. So we issued the RFP to six potential partners, who were all given the same data and invited to put their best offers on the table.”
That was just the first stage of the process. Next came analysis and review.
Number crunching plus market knowledge.
By ensuring potential suppliers were working from the same, detailed RFP, Energy Select was able to ensure all the proposals addressed the core issues. Suppliers were invited to put forward any combination of pricing, tariffs and engineering that would deliver to Matua Valley’s operational and contractual needs.
Next, Dayton and the Energy Select team went through the numbers, checked viability, reviewed the reference sites, and compiled their findings into a report for Cesar and his colleagues at TWE.
The result was a rigorous analysis that put diverse responses into a consistent framework, and then recommended the top three contenders. TWE was provided with a recommendation, supported by analysis and comparison of the underlying proposals.
Fee-based service to control costs and ensure transparency.
All Energy Select’s work on this project was delivered for an agreed fee. This ensured total transparency and a level playing field. While there can be advantages for all parties in having a stake in the performance of a contract, TWE and Energy Select wanted energy suppliers to focus on the engineering solution and the ongoing operating costs of the solar solution.
Timed to perfection.
Winemaking is highly seasonal. TWE and Energy Select timed the RFP to avoid the peaks of activity around the Marlborough growing season and vintage, so a recommendation could be in place to commence works with minimal disruption.
On-site solar installation was in place by July 2025 in the quieter months and ahead of the energy-intensive vintage operations. Cesar says of the RFP process:
“We ended up choosing a local supplier we hadn’t been aware of. Now we get to bank the benefits of solar from our Matua Valley operations, which helps reduce our global carbon footprint.”
