Why Community Solar may be the secret ingredient in a brewery’s “perfect batch”
Overview: Community solar can offer breweries a way to manage electricity expenses without altering production schedules, installing onsite equipment, or committing upfront capital. In addition to potential cost stability, participation may contribute to broader sustainability goals and allow brand narrative to reflect environmental stewardship and local community commitment.
At first glance, running a brewery might look like a straightforward industrial process, but anyone on the floor knows there is a delicate balancing act in motion. Successful brewing operations are finely tuned systems where timing, temperature, and energy all play critical roles.
That same precision extends to electricity use. Brewing requires significant electricity consumption across the fermentation, conditioning, and packaging processes. With U.S. commercial electricity prices up ~12% last year, those monthly bills can feel like another obstacle in an already exacting process.
When faced with general inflationary pressures and price sensitive clients, the question then becomes: how can a brewery manage electricity costs without risking the integrity of day-to-day operations? One approach gaining attention among many is community solar, which can provide predictable savings without disrupting the rhythm of the brewery.
What is Community Solar?
Community solar is a partnership between a solar farm operator and electricity users in the same utility territory. Each participating electricity user gets bill credits every month from the solar farm to reduce their electric bill and pays for the credits at a 10-15% discount. Participation doesn’t require any out-of-pocket costs; only an active electricity account (Want to learn more? Visit our What is Community Solar page).
Why are breweries a strong fit for this type of structure?
With a range of options available, community solar may the right tactical solution to excel where others fall short:
No disruption or impact on daily operation: Community solar delivers value through offsite solar farms, so your brewery never has to pause production or alter how it uses electricity. The only noticeable change is a lower monthly utility bill, thanks to the savings generated through participating.
Savings that grow with production, not just footprint: Breweries often use a surprising amount of energy for their size, so an effective solution needs to make a real impact. Onsite systems are limited by the available space on your property, resulting in an installation that may only offset a fraction of your electricity use. Since community solar is a partnership with an off-site system, it can potentially cover a much larger portion of your load, delivering savings that keep pace with your operations.
Free up capital for growth: As one of the fastest growing industries of the last 10 years, breweries often face tough decisions about where to allocate retained earnings: process improvements or expansion. Community solar allows your operations the option to reduce overhead without upfront costs, freeing capital to reinvest in growth rather than simply covering expenses.
Many teams try to lower electricity costs by reducing onsite consumption, either through upgrading equipment or installing solar onsite. While effective in the right circumstances, these options often require upfront capital, downtime, and long payback periods. Community solar offers a simpler alternative: no upfront cost, no disruption, and potential savings in as little as 30 days.
Where doesn’t Community Solar work?
Community solar offers many benefits, but it does have limitations. Its availability is tied to state-specific programs and the capacity of existing projects, making it an actionable option in a limited number of markets, including Illinois, Maine, New York, and Maryland. If your facility is outside these areas, onsite solar or energy efficiency upgrades may be more viable ways to achieve facility-level savings.
How can it fit into your brand?
Brewers know that consumers care not just about the drink in their hands, but also the story behind it. Many owners are already focused on initiatives like energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction, and community solar offers another way to make an impact. By participating in a project, your facility and others in your utility can support local economic development and renewable energy generation, creating benefits for the broader community as a whole.
For some breweries, a key consideration may be whether participation allows them to claim renewable energy use onsite. This is possible but typically requires receiving renewable energy credits, which are generally only allocated to participants with sizeable energy usage. Reach out to our team to learn if this might be an option for your business.
How can Turquoise Trail Energy Solution help?
Often the hardest part about community solar is knowing where to start. At Turquoise Trail Energy Solutions, we help breweries navigate the community solar process from start to finish by evaluating eligibility, estimating potential savings, and providing clear, personalized guidance.
If community solar is a good fit for your business, we work with pre-vetted, industry-leading community solar partners who are offering the leading options in the market. Contact us today to learn more about how you can take control of your electricity expenses with ease through community solar.
