(ForeFront Power, 20.May.2022) — ForeFront Power, a developer, advisor, and asset manager for commercial and industrial-scale solar energy and storage projects, has partnered with American brewer, Anheuser-Busch, to develop solar energy systems at eight breweries in its craft business unit, Brewers Collective.
ForeFront Power has now completed solar energy installations at Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago, Blue Point Brewing Co. in Patchogue, NY, Virtue Cider in Fennville, MI., Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton, CO, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. in Lexington, VA, Four Peaks Brewing Co., in Tempe, AZ, Karbach Brewing Co. in Houston, and 10 Barrel Brewing Co. in Bend, OR. Combined, these solar energy systems total 2.4 megawatt-DC (MWdc) and will help Anheuser-Busch avoid over 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
“Many craft breweries are more than production facilities; they are now major tourist destinations and community hubs,” said Michael Smith, CEO of ForeFront Power. “On-site solar generation can not only substantially reduce utility costs, but also serve as a tangible demonstration of a brewery’s environmental stewardship and commitment to taking climate action. We applaud Anheuser-Busch for its clean energy leadership in the beverage sector, and it has been so rewarding for our team to help breweries across the U.S. achieve their sustainability goals.”
In Chicago, ForeFront Power installed a 377 kilowatt-DC (kW-DC) rooftop solar array atop Goose Island’s Barrel House. Goose Island opened in 1988, and in 2014 opened the Barrel House, a state-of-the-art, 139,000 sq. foot brewing facility and event space that is home to over 15,000 barrels, all within a historic Art Deco brick warehouse. The rooftop solar array will generate 484,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually, helping Goose Island avoid 750,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. This is roughly equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 420 acres of forest in one year.
“Goose Island is proud to have completed a solar energy project atop our Barrel House,” said Todd Ahsmann, president of Goose Island Beer Co. “The ForeFront Power team helped make going solar a turnkey process, and we are pleased with our system’s performance, the utility savings it provides, and its positive contribution to our region’s climate goals. Goose Island is proof that if solar can work in the Windy City, it can work anywhere.”
At Long Island’s Blue Point Brewing Co., ForeFront Power installed a 217 kW-DC rooftop solar array atop the brewery’s 54,000 sq. foot facility in Patchogue, NY. The completion of the solar project marks an important milestone in Blue Point Brewing’s decades-long sustainability program. The solar project will generate over 285,000 kWh of electricity annually, the equivalent of 247 acres of U.S. forestry conserved.
“Blue Point is surrounded by water and has always focused our sustainability efforts on protecting our waterways,” said Nick Rosenberg, Blue Point’s environmental safety manager. “Becoming a solar brewery was the logical next step to fight climate change and lower our utility bills at the same time. We are thankful for ForeFront Power’s expert guidance through every phase of the project, from permitting, to installation, to construction and energization.”
The solar projects are all part of a company-wide commitment from Anheuser-Busch to purchase 100% of its electricity from renewable sources – a goal it achieved four years early. Through partnerships with leading renewable energy providers like ForeFront Power, all Anheuser-Busch Brewers Collective craft partner brewery and cidery locations now brew with 100% renewable electricity from wind and solar power.
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