CASELLA Family Brands, Australia’s largest family-owned drinks business, switched on the largest solar facility in the Australian beverage industry last week, on its site in Yenda, New South Wales.

Known for producing Australian wines including Yellow Tail, Peter Lehmann Wines, Brand’s Laira of Coonawarra, Baileys of Glenrowan and Morris of Rutherglen, the company said the Yenda solar facility has 8730 solar panels, capable of generating 11.53 GWh of clean electricity per year.

It says this will offset 7800 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which is enough to meet the electricity needs of approximately 1900 Australian homes, or equivalent to planting 325,000 trees.

The solar farm will provide approximately 35 per cent of the Yenda site’s electricity, and it will use all the clean electricity it produces, reducing the company’s environmental impact.

A second solar system with 936 panels will provide clean energy to power its wastewater treatment plant, capable of generating 890.47 MWh of electricity per year, and contributing 30 per cent of the facility’s electricity needs.

Founder and managing director of Casella Family Brands, John Casella, said he was proud to unveil the company's investment in clean electricity through its two new solar systems.

"As well as reducing our footprint, we are making a direct contribution to the Australian wine industry’s GHG emissions reduction goals via the products we make and supply, as we all strive to ensure a sustainable global wine sector," he said.

Wine Australia CEO Dr Martin Cole said Casella Family Brand’s new solar farm is another signal of the recognition from Australian grape and wine businesses to act now towards a lower carbon future for all.