Solar Powered Breweries in America [Infographic]

Green beer might flow on St. Patty’s Day but a different kind of green beer, sustainable beer, is a much larger trend in the brewing industry.?

We wanted to make an infographic (and article) exploring the most common way for breweries to go green: solar arrays.

These solar powered breweries mean you can enjoy a can, bottle, or pint of guilt free beer.

And stick around after the infographic for a deep dive on how solar breweries are changing American Beer.

Solar Breweries Started with Eco-Friendly Brewers

The 1st American brewery went solar in 2006.

The Financial Crisis hit just as the idea of Solar Breweries started to gain momentum. That meant 0 solar breweries in 2009.?

But the solar beer trend really started taking off in 2010 and reached the peak of installations in 2015.

Let’s give some kudos and highlight the companies that embraced solar early and went out of their way to do the right thing.?

Solar Breweries Save Money

Solar panels cost less every year. With lower costs, the economics of adding solar panels to a brewery make sense for more and more companies.?

It’s a win-win-win. Going solar:

1. Reduces carbon emissions
2. Improves production reliability
3. Reduces energy costs

As Chief Economist of the Brewers’ Association, Bart Watson,?said in an interview, “[Renewable energy] makes good business sense. Breweries are energy intensive. It’s a manufacturing business.”?

“When you’re constantly heating water for your boil kettle or hot liquor tank, having a reliable source of energy that over the long term reduces your costs makes sense.”

Solar makes sense to?sell?beer, too.

People will pay more for environmentally friendly beer

59% of beer drinkers are willing to pay?more for sustainably-produced beer, and on average, they would pay around $1.30 more per six-pack.

Americans Expect Corporate Climate Action

A 2017 report found an overwhelming?86% of US consumers expect companies to act on environmental issues.

A 2020 report reveals around 80% of millennials and GenZ expect businesses to make even greater efforts to protect the environment.?Deloitte?