Craft Brewer Cuts Costs by Installing Rooftop, Carport Solar

Golden Road Brewing solar panels. Image courtesy of Revel Energy

Golden Road Brewing, a California-based craft beer brewer, has partnered with Revel Energy to install rooftop and carport commercial grade solar at its location near Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The firm is part of the Anheuser-Busch family, which recently signed a 15-year, 222-megawatt PPA with Recurrent Energy to brew its entire beer portfolio with 100 percent renewable energy by 2021.

Almost 80 percent of the firm’s 30,000-square-foot rooftop in Anaheim has already been covered in solar panels. In addition, a 20-stall carport with commercial solar was added to increase Golden Road’s power generation. The system’s total size is 270 kilowatts—141 kilowatts for the rooftop and 129 kilowatts for the carport—with a generating capacity of 385,000 kilowatt-hours. The system is estimated to reduce energy consumption by 30 to 40 percent. Revel Energy customized and installed and will manage the solar systems.

According to a company release, California’s electricity rates rise by more than six percent annually. In 2018, craft beer production registered a 3.9 percent rise. The increase in production coupled with more expensive electricity costs triggered Golden Road to search for alternative ways to reduce costs, hence the partnership with Revel Energy.