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6 craft breweries pairing solar power with suds

By Kelsey Misbrener | May 11, 2022

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As the number of craft breweries in the U.S. continues to grow, with more than 9,000 counted in 2021 by the Brewers Association, companies are looking for ways to stand apart from the competition. One strategy gaining popularity is investing in onsite renewable energy. Many breweries use “solar-powered beer” as a marketing tool and sometimes even name certain brews after solar power, like Minnesota brewery Invictus Brewing Company’s new “1.7 Million Megawatts Summer Ale.”

Here are six breweries that have added solar power in the last few years.

SunCommon completed Vermont's largest solar canopy for craft brewery Lawson's Finest Liquids in April 2022. The new canopy in Waitsfield complements the existing rooftop solar system and independent wastewater management system. Both solar installations will now offset about 60% of the brewery’s electric bill.
Renovus Solar installed a 200-kW array on the roof of Ithaca Beer Company in 2018. The New York brewery went solar to lower its electricity costs after doubling its square footage a few years prior.
Eagle Solar & Light installed a 125.28-kW rooftop solar system on the rooftop of Ferus Artisan Ales in Trussville, Alabama, in May 2021. The company celebrated being the first brewery in the state to be powered by solar.
Rock Art Brewery, based in Morrisville, Vermont, worked with SunCommon to add a 67-kW array to the brewery's rooftop in 2017. The family-owned company released a commemorative beer to go with the installation called the "Sun Rocked IPA."
Nationally distributed brewery Lagunitas Brewing Company chose Westcoast Solar Energy to build out a large, multi-faceted solar portfolio for its California brewing operations in August 2021. The $5 million, 2.1-MW solar project offsets 60% of the brewery’s energy use.
Duke Energy installed a 2.1-MW ground-mount solar array and 281-kW solar carport for California craft brewery Firestone Walker Brewing in January 2021. The onsite solar installations in Paso Robles will generate the majority of the brewery’s energy, which is enough to brew and bottle 6 million cases of beer annually.

About The Author

Kelsey Misbrener

Kelsey Misbrener is currently managing editor of Solar Power World and has been reporting on policy, technology and other areas of the U.S. solar market since 2017.

Comments

  1. Danny Chiotos says

    April 8, 2023 at 9:13 am

    Check out the 1812 Brewery in Cumberland, MD with a 100% solar powered operation with a 60.52-kilowatt ground-mount array

    https://www.times-news.com/news/local_news/solar-suds-1812-brewery-powered-by-sun/article_16fa5480-a799-11eb-afff-23eddb5a6e0f.html

    Reply
  2. Broxton Ashburn says

    September 16, 2022 at 1:12 pm

    Check out Highland Brewing Company – 1045 panels approx. 300 kw system.

    Reply
  3. Tom says

    May 20, 2022 at 10:53 am

    Old Bust Head Vint Hill, VA 100kw solar array, geo thermal, c02 recapture, super efficient boilers, water conservation amongst many other sustainable elements!

    https://www.oldbusthead.com/solar

    Reply
  4. Kent Cissell says

    May 17, 2022 at 8:57 am

    https://youtu.be/vHElat38aDU

    Another great one!

    Reply
  5. Anders Nilbrink says

    May 16, 2022 at 8:12 am

    Sierra Nevada brewing Company added 2017.

    https://sierranevada.com/about/sustainability/

    Reply
  6. David Scavone says

    May 13, 2022 at 6:12 pm

    Great piece! Creature Comforts also has two beautiful systems at their production facility and taproom in Athens, GA. https://creaturecomfortsbeer.com/earth-day-qa-with-sustainability-lead-jacob-yarbrough/

    Reply
  7. Virginia Tannehill says

    May 11, 2022 at 7:27 pm

    Here is another I have seen in my area, Charlotte, NC… Birdsong Brewing Co!!

    Reply
  8. Eric says

    May 11, 2022 at 5:42 pm

    I’ll play!

    https://www.swtenergy.com/scratchtownbrewing

    Reply
  9. Duane Peterson says

    May 11, 2022 at 3:33 pm

    Great piece! Maybe catalog the whole lot out there. Here’s another.

    https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2022/03/01/alchemist-brewer-goes-solar.html

    Reply

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