More solar beer as Melbourne boutique brewer installs 100kW rooftop PV

An inner Melbourne craft brewery will soon be powered by rooftop solar, with the installation of just under 100kW of PV panels set for competition at the end of February.

Local business Beon Energy Solutions said on Thursday that it was installing a 96.3kW solar system at Collingwood brewery, Stomping Ground Brewing Co, that – once completed – would generate enough power to supply 20 homes, covering the small business’s sizeable energy needs.

The project was guided by the Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF), an independent Melbourne organisation that helps households, businesses, community groups and governments make the transition to solar.

Renewable powered beer is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon, both in Australia and overseas, both for major international brewers and small, local, boutique concerns.

Read the One Step Off the Grid story by Sophie Vorrath - “More solar beer as Melbourne boutique brewer installs 100kW rooftop PV.”

Successful beer maker brews a drop of climate activism

B

efore they sold their first bottle of beer, Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch, co-founders of New Belgium Brewing, went for a long hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.

On that hike, they came up with four core beliefs and values that would guide their fledgling brewing operation. One pillar of the operation was environmentalism — both Jordan and Lebesch agreed that the company should, no matter what, be a good environmental steward.

More than two decades later, New Belgium Brewing has grown into the fourth-largest craft brewery in the United States, producing more than 900,000 barrels of beer annually and selling their products in 38 states around the country. But they’ve maintained their commitment to environmentalism, transitioning in the last eight years from a business internally concerned with sustainability to a vocal advocate for clean water and sustainable business practices in both local and national politics.

The New Belgium Brewery is now
 trying its hand at climate activism.

This winter, for the first time, New Belgium is turning its attention to climate change advocacy. To draw attention to climate change and raise support for Protect Our Winters, a nonprofit that touts itself as a leading climate advocate in the winter sports community, New Belgium has teamed up with Ben and Jerry’s to create a limited release beer and ice cream pairing — Salted Caramel Brownie Brown Ale, available in both beer and ice cream form.

Read the Oximity story - “The Country’s Fourth-Largest Craft Brewery Is Trying Its Hand At Climate Activism.”