Energy Sustainability in the Ripening of Traditional Cheese: Renewable Energy Sources and Internet of Things Based Energy Monitoring

Abstract

Improving the energy efficiency of traditional production methods while preserving their cultural and economic value is a challenge aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 agenda. Refrigeration during cheese maturation is particularly energy-intensive, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs. An approach to make traditional cheese production more sustainable, through the development of a prototype ripening chamber with a natural refrigerant-based refrigeration system powered by renewable energy was studied. A dedicated system based on an Internet of Things architecture was developed using low-cost sensors, microcontroller units, and single-board computers to enable real-time measurement and monitoring of environmental variables and energy consumption throughout the ripening process. A comparative analysis was conducted using ewe’s milk cheese, produced and ripened with Protected Designation of Origin conditions, in both the prototype and the conventional chambers over four weeks, quantifying energy consumption and evaluating product quality. Results demonstrate the technical feasibility of energy efficient and sustainable refrigeration systems, as well as the possibility of retrofitting installed cheese ripening chambers with affordable IoT monitoring systems, while maintaining traditional cheese quality standards.