How craft brewers can cut electricity emissions while growing profits
A craft brewery’s electricity consumption can add hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year. Cutting these emissions can lead to significant annual cost savings while helping to reverse the climate crisis.
Craft brewers can cut electricity emissions in three ways:
By using less electricity to do the same thing, or boosting energy efficiency
By powering their electric operations with carbon-free power, such as wind and solar
By reducing their demand on the electricity system
Let’s break each of these down.
Boosting electrical energy efficiency
Most of a craft brewery’s electricity consumption goes toward machine drives (46%) and process cooling and refrigeration (32%), according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Other significant consumption sources are packaging (15-35%) and compressed air (10%).
If craft brewers can increase the efficiency of their machine drives and cooling systems, they’ll reduce their electricity usage without compromising product quality. That will less electricity use per barrel produced, which results in greater profits and lower emissions per barrel produced.
Examples of projects in these areas are optimizing controls and set points for refrigeration and compressed air systems and developing a motor replacement plan. Many electric utilities offer rebates that can bring down the cost of these projects.
Sourcing carbon-free power
If craft brewers can source carbon-free power, they’ll reduce the carbon footprint of the electricity they consume.
Some actions craft brewers can take here are to evaluate on-site solar power options or subscribe to a new, local community solar project. At a minimum, they should participate in their utility’s green power program.
Larger craft breweries can explore other options to source renewable energy, like 5- to 10-year power purchase agreements.
Reducing electricity demand
Reducing demand is abstract, but it ultimately boils down to reducing your needs from the electric system.
Craft brewers can save money and cut electricity emissions by reducing their demand in two ways:
Reducing electricity usage during peak hours, like hot summer afternoons when everyone is running their AC
Reducing their overall maximum demand on the electricity system over time
Taking action looks like dialing down electric operations during peak times and staggering electric operations during other times if possible. A great place to start is to explore your local utility’s demand response program.
We can help
If you’re ready to cut some carbon while saving money, we’d love to chat!
We help craft brewers quickly measure their electricity emissions; identify and quantify the ROI of projects that can save money while cutting electricity emissions; and get those projects completed.
Other awesome resources
The carbon footprint of the electricity a craft brewery consumes reflects the power plants on its local grid. For example, electricity in the Rockies has a higher carbon footprint than electricity in the Carolinas. This is due to the higher proportion of fossil fuel-based power plants in the Rockies than in the Carolinas. To learn the carbon intensity of your local grid, check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s grid emissions factors.
There’s an amazing debate happening right now around the best actions companies can take to source carbon-free electricity. Overall, the debate boils down to what actions will do the most to reverse the climate crisis. David Roberts nails this complexity in his Canary Media article Is 24/7 carbon-free energy the best goal?