Seeley International’s multi-award winning Climate Wizard has claimed yet another industry accolade overnight when it was crowned winner of the Wine Making Award at the prestigious Wine Industry Impact Awards in Adelaide.
Seeley International Founder and Executive Chairman, Mr Frank Seeley AM, said Climate Wizard was the perfect solution to offset the spiralling high energy costs associated with keeping barrel halls at ideal temperatures in the hot Australian climate, as well as greatly reducing the evaporation of wine in those same barrel halls.
“Seeley International’s Climate Wizard dew-point/indirect evaporative coolers have been utilised successfully in the wine industry for a number of years, and over that time they have proven to be spectacularly successful in barrel storage areas where precise temperatures and humidity controlled environments are crucial,” Mr Seeley said.
“Wineries now have the ability to control temperature and humidity of barrel halls using 100% outside air to ensure ideal rates of maturation and minimise evaporation levels of the wine,” he said.
“That is great news for winemakers facing spiralling energy costs, and reducing evaporation rates helps to further strengthen their bottom line and improve the sustainability of their operations.”
Mr Seeley said real-world analysis of two Climate Wizard Supercool air-conditioners in operation at one SA-based winery has shown that they use only 15% of the energy of refrigerated systems.
“Climate Wizard offers great flexibility when it comes to installation, and can operate independently or interface with conventional existing building management systems,” Mr Seeley said.
“South Australia enjoys a reputation the world over for producing many amazing wines, and Seeley International is delighted that our own award-winning Climate Wizard is now very much part of that global success story,’ he said.
“Just as it takes time, patience and commitment to create a premium wine, it has been a similar journey in developing a premium product like Climate Wizard and its innovative indirect evaporative cooling technology. It is an honour to see our commitment to innovation, and our commitment to the Australian wine industry, recognised by this very special award win.”
The awards, which are an initiative of Wine Industry Suppliers Australia (WISA), are designed to showcase business excellence and innovation in improving the competitiveness and capability of the nation’s grape and wine industry. Judging is conducted by industry experts across six key categories – grape growing, wine making, packaging, distribution and logistics, marketing and communications, and tourism.
Frank Seeley (L) and Sandy Donaldson (R)