Odell Brewing Adds 77KW Solar Array

by | Jan 11, 2010

This article is included in these additional categories:

odellOdell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, Colo., has added a 76.8 kilowatt solar array atop the roof of a building expansion, reports the Coloradoan.

Another Colorado brewer, New Belgium, in recent weeks activated an 870-panel, 200-kilowatt solar array at its facility, which is tied into Fort Collins’ distributed energy program. The array will produce 16 percent of New Belgium’s peak electrical load and 3 percent of its total electrical energy use.

Odell’s solar array has 384 200-watt panels, covering about 11,000 square feet of roof space.

The system should produce about 111,000 kilowatt hours a year, or about 39 percent of the brewery’s on-site electricity needs, according to the Coloradoan.

Odell received a $50,000 grant from Fort Collins to help in the $410,000 project.

In addition to making beer, adding solar appears to be a favorite pastime of brewers.

Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, Calif., installed a 1.3 megawatt solar power system to provide 34 percent of the brewery’s power.

Central Waters Brewery in Amherst, Wisc., has been able to double its beer production without spending any more on natural gas after installing a solar water heater.

In 2008, Anheuser-Busch set a goal to brew about one in seven beers, or over 5 billion 12.oz servings, with alternative energy by 2009 as part of its goal to run its U.S. operations on 15 percent renewable fuel by 2010.

Additional articles you will be interested in.

Stay Informed

Get E+E Leader Articles delivered via Newsletter right to your inbox!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Share This