Analysis of thermal performance of underground wine cellar

Temperature control is fundamental for the aging of wine, which requires more time of use of electromechanical systems for interior cooling and humidification that increases the operative cost of wine cellars. The underground buildings represent a constructive solution to maximize the thermal performance and energy efficiency, by using the thermophysical properties of the subsoil for the reduction of the interior temperature, however, this effect depends on the characteristics of the building and the study site. The main objective of the present work was to analyze the hygrothermal performance of an underground wine cellar in Guadalupe Valley Mexico, using data of dry bulb temperatura and relative humidity monitored for 1 year. The conditions of the external microclimate were measured asynchronously with a weather station. For the analysis, theoretical ranges of optimum temperature and humidity for wine aging are considered, based on literature of leading authors. The results show the effect of the subsoil and the meteorological variations of the exterior on the interior conditions for the cold period (December to February) and the warm period (June to September).