ForeFront Power, a developer, advisor and asset supervisor for business and industrial-scale solar energy and storage initiatives, has partnered with Anheuser-Busch to develop solar energy methods at eight breweries in its craft enterprise unit, Brewers Collective.
ForeFront Power has now accomplished solar energy installations at Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago, Ill.; Blue Point Brewing Co. in Patchogue, N.Y.; Virtue Cider in Fennville, Mich.; Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton, Colo.; Devils Backbone Brewing Co. in Lexington, Va.; Four Peaks Brewing Co. in Tempe, Ariz.; Karbach Brewing Co. in Houston, Texas; and 10 Barrel Brewing Co. in Bend, Ore. Combined, these solar energy methods complete 2.4 MW DC.
“Many craft breweries are more than production facilities; they are now major tourist destinations and community hubs,” says 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 put in a 377 kW DC rooftop solar array atop Goose Island’s Barrel House. The rooftop solar array will generate 484,000 kWh of electrical energy yearly.
“Goose Island is proud to have completed a solar energy project atop our Barrel House,” states 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 put in a 217 kW DC rooftop solar array atop the brewery’s 54,000 sq. foot facility in Patchogue, N.Y. The solar challenge will generate over 285,000 kWh of electrical energy yearly.
“Blue Point is surrounded by water and has always focused our sustainability efforts on protecting our waterways,” feedback Nick Rosenberg, Blue Point’s environmental security supervisor. “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.”
