Difference between revisions of "Solar Powered Breweries"
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==Top 10 Craft Breweries that use Solar Power== | ==Top 10 Craft Breweries that use Solar Power== | ||
| − | {| | + | {| class="wikitable" |
| − | |Brewery||Total Power||% of brewery's use||# of Panels||~Panel wattage | + | ||Brewery||Total Power||%of brewery's use||# of Panels||~Panel wattage|| estimated investment |
| + | |- | ||
| + | ||Sierra Nevada Brewing Company||2.6 MW||20%||10,573||245 W||$8M | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | ||Lagunitas Brewing Company||2.1 MW||50%||6,000||350 W||$6.3M | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | ||Highland Brewing Company||324 kW|| ? ||1,045||300 W||$1M | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | ||Stone Brewing Company||312 kW||20%|| ? || ?||$1M | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | ||New Belgium Brewing Company||300 kW||4.5 %||1,235||240 W||$1M | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | ||Kona Brewing Company||229 kW||50%|| ? || ?||$700,000 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | ||Bear Republic Brewing Company||166.8 kW||45%|| ? || ?||$500,000 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | ||SweetWater Brewing Company||157 kW|| ? ||750||210 W||$500,000 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | ||Flying Fish Brewing Company||129 kW|| ? ||463||280 W||$400,000 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | ||Anderson Valley Brewing Company||125 kW||40%||768||160 W||$400,000 | ||
| + | |} | ||
| − | == | + | ==Solar Panel info== |
| − | + | :Commercial panel sizes are ~ 77 inches by 39 inches. | |
| + | :Commercial panel weight ~50 lbs each. | ||
| + | :Commercial panel power is 230-275 W (standard) and 325-345 W (high output). | ||
| + | :Commercial panel cost ~ $2-$6 per watt | ||
| − | + | ''Examples'' (250 W panels @ $3/W) | |
| − | + | :*10 kW ~ 35 panels, ~ cost $30,000 | |
| + | :*250 kW ~ 1000 panels, ~ cost $750,000 | ||
| + | :*2 MW ~ 8000 panels, ~ cost $6,000,000 | ||
| − | === | + | ==Solar Incentive Programs== |
| − | |||
| − | + | [http://www.seia.org/sites/default/files/ITC%20101%20Fact%20Sheet%20Feb17.pdf Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) - Solar (30% of total cost)] | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | == | + | ==Solar Education== |
| − | + | [https://illinoissolar.org/ Illinois Solar Energy Association] | |
| + | *non-profit | ||
| + | *public webinars | ||
| + | *[https://illinoissolar.org/educvideos videos] | ||
| − | === | + | ===Usage and Units=== |
| − | + | Watt (W) is a "rating" indicating an amount of power needed to operate the unit, where as a watt-hour (Wh) is a measure of the amount of power used over time. | |
| − | + | :'''Example 1''': If a typical light bulb is "rated" at 60 W, then when this light bulb operates for 1 hour, it has used 60 Wh amount of energy. If this bulb operated for 24 hours, then it uses 1,440 Wh or 1.44 kWh. | |
| − | + | :'''Example 2''': If a solar panel is "rated" at 200 W, then when the panel is exposed to sun for 1 hour, it has created 200 Wh amount of energy. If this panel is exposed to sunlight for 8 hours per day, then this panel will generate 1,600 Wh or 1.6 kWh. | |
| − | + | ::From the examples above, we can see that a 200 W solar panel in the sun for 8 hours will generate the same amount of energy needed to power a 60 W lightbulb all day. Note: the energy generated by the solar panel is only available while the sun is shining on the panel, so if you wish to run your lights at night, you will be required to store the solar energy in a battery which is significantly more expensive. Many solar panel "grids" can feed power back into the electrical companies "power grid," so while your solar panels are producing power any excess can be "credited" to your later use. | |
| − | |||
| − | + | :'''Other examples" | |
| − | + | ::A portable heater listed at 1500 W (1.5 kW) will consume 1.5 kW per hour (1.5kWh) and will cost ~ $0.17 per hour to operate (est energy cost $0.11 kWh). | |
| + | ::A '''old''' refrigerator will consume 150 kWh per month and cost ~$16.50 per month to operate. | ||
| + | ::A '''new''' refrigerator will consume 35 kWh per month and cost ~$4.00 per month to operate. | ||
| + | ::An electric water heater will consume ~450 kWh per month and cost ~$50 per month to operate. | ||
| + | ::A desktop computer costs ~$0.03 per hour to operate; if you leave your computer on all the time, it costs you ~$0.75/day. | ||
| + | ::An incandescent light bulb cost ~$0.01 per hour or ~ $0.25 per day. | ||
| + | ::A compact florescent light bulb cost ~ $0.06/day. | ||
| − | == | + | Consider a home that has the following: |
| − | : | + | :1) a new refrigerator (1.2 kWh/day) |
| − | : | + | :2) a medium size water heater (15 kWh/day) |
| + | :3) a 50" flat screen TV (runs 4 hours/day = 2.5 kWh) | ||
| + | :4) a desktop computer (runs 24 hours/day = 4.8 kWh) | ||
| + | :5) lighting (2.4 kWh) | ||
| + | :6) "central" air conditioning (30 kWh/day) | ||
| + | :Total of ~50-60 kWh/day --> which would require 275 solar panels (200 W) collecting sunlight for 8 hours; without air conditioning, ~130 solar panels. If you paid for high efficiency panels (325 W) then with air conditioning you need only 175 panels or without air conditioning ~85 panels. The initial investment to install high efficiency panels would be ~$165,000 less ~50% rebates = '''~$83,000'''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | [http://www.siliconvalleypower.com/for-residents/save-energy/appliance-energy-use-chart Energy use chart] | ||
Latest revision as of 14:09, 15 June 2017
The following is a summary for a 2016 link found here.
Top 10 Craft Breweries that use Solar Power
| Brewery | Total Power | %of brewery's use | # of Panels | ~Panel wattage | estimated investment |
| Sierra Nevada Brewing Company | 2.6 MW | 20% | 10,573 | 245 W | $8M |
| Lagunitas Brewing Company | 2.1 MW | 50% | 6,000 | 350 W | $6.3M |
| Highland Brewing Company | 324 kW | ? | 1,045 | 300 W | $1M |
| Stone Brewing Company | 312 kW | 20% | ? | ? | $1M |
| New Belgium Brewing Company | 300 kW | 4.5 % | 1,235 | 240 W | $1M |
| Kona Brewing Company | 229 kW | 50% | ? | ? | $700,000 |
| Bear Republic Brewing Company | 166.8 kW | 45% | ? | ? | $500,000 |
| SweetWater Brewing Company | 157 kW | ? | 750 | 210 W | $500,000 |
| Flying Fish Brewing Company | 129 kW | ? | 463 | 280 W | $400,000 |
| Anderson Valley Brewing Company | 125 kW | 40% | 768 | 160 W | $400,000 |
Solar Panel info
- Commercial panel sizes are ~ 77 inches by 39 inches.
- Commercial panel weight ~50 lbs each.
- Commercial panel power is 230-275 W (standard) and 325-345 W (high output).
- Commercial panel cost ~ $2-$6 per watt
Examples (250 W panels @ $3/W)
- 10 kW ~ 35 panels, ~ cost $30,000
- 250 kW ~ 1000 panels, ~ cost $750,000
- 2 MW ~ 8000 panels, ~ cost $6,000,000
Solar Incentive Programs
Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) - Solar (30% of total cost)
Solar Education
Illinois Solar Energy Association
- non-profit
- public webinars
- videos
Usage and Units
Watt (W) is a "rating" indicating an amount of power needed to operate the unit, where as a watt-hour (Wh) is a measure of the amount of power used over time.
- Example 1: If a typical light bulb is "rated" at 60 W, then when this light bulb operates for 1 hour, it has used 60 Wh amount of energy. If this bulb operated for 24 hours, then it uses 1,440 Wh or 1.44 kWh.
- Example 2: If a solar panel is "rated" at 200 W, then when the panel is exposed to sun for 1 hour, it has created 200 Wh amount of energy. If this panel is exposed to sunlight for 8 hours per day, then this panel will generate 1,600 Wh or 1.6 kWh.
- From the examples above, we can see that a 200 W solar panel in the sun for 8 hours will generate the same amount of energy needed to power a 60 W lightbulb all day. Note: the energy generated by the solar panel is only available while the sun is shining on the panel, so if you wish to run your lights at night, you will be required to store the solar energy in a battery which is significantly more expensive. Many solar panel "grids" can feed power back into the electrical companies "power grid," so while your solar panels are producing power any excess can be "credited" to your later use.
- Other examples"
- A portable heater listed at 1500 W (1.5 kW) will consume 1.5 kW per hour (1.5kWh) and will cost ~ $0.17 per hour to operate (est energy cost $0.11 kWh).
- A old refrigerator will consume 150 kWh per month and cost ~$16.50 per month to operate.
- A new refrigerator will consume 35 kWh per month and cost ~$4.00 per month to operate.
- An electric water heater will consume ~450 kWh per month and cost ~$50 per month to operate.
- A desktop computer costs ~$0.03 per hour to operate; if you leave your computer on all the time, it costs you ~$0.75/day.
- An incandescent light bulb cost ~$0.01 per hour or ~ $0.25 per day.
- A compact florescent light bulb cost ~ $0.06/day.
Consider a home that has the following:
- 1) a new refrigerator (1.2 kWh/day)
- 2) a medium size water heater (15 kWh/day)
- 3) a 50" flat screen TV (runs 4 hours/day = 2.5 kWh)
- 4) a desktop computer (runs 24 hours/day = 4.8 kWh)
- 5) lighting (2.4 kWh)
- 6) "central" air conditioning (30 kWh/day)
- Total of ~50-60 kWh/day --> which would require 275 solar panels (200 W) collecting sunlight for 8 hours; without air conditioning, ~130 solar panels. If you paid for high efficiency panels (325 W) then with air conditioning you need only 175 panels or without air conditioning ~85 panels. The initial investment to install high efficiency panels would be ~$165,000 less ~50% rebates = ~$83,000.