Archive for July, 2011
Empower Energy Helping SweetWater Brewery Go Green
SweetWater Brewery Moves On Up With A Deluxe Solar Rooftop In The Sky
SweetWater Brewing Company might be a local craft brewery based in Atlanta, but their tasty brews and unique business style have put their name on the map nationally, recently recognized as the No. 27 largest craft brewery in the U.S. by the Brewers Association. To accommodate the growing demand for their deliciousness, the Atlanta digs are in the midst of an expansion.
With building permits in hand, the expansion is underway and on track to be completed in November 2011 and fully functioning by January 2012.
Staying true to its environmentally friendly roots, the expansion will be topped off with the largest private commercial solar installation in Atlanta according to Empower Energy Technology, the company spearheading the efforts. The building’s new 157kWp solar panel roof system will be visible from passing Marta trains and the Buford Spring Connector that takes commuters to and from I-85 and I-75 and the adjacent Beltline. The first-year output of the system will be 234,684 kWh (AC) and under typical weather conditions, that’s enough electrical generation to power nearly 22 average US homes, or offset a nice chunk of the power the brewery would have been pulling off of the grid. Don’t worry tree huggers and beer lovers, you CAN have your beer and drink it, too!
Renewable electricity passes nuclear in U.S.
Here’s a bit of good news we are excited to share.
According to the most recent issue of the “Monthly Energy Review,” published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), during the first quarter of 2011, renewable energy sources (biomass/biofuels, geothermal, solar, water, wind) provided 2.245 quadrillion Btus of energy or 11.73% of U.S. energy production. More significantly, energy production from renewable energy sources in 2011 was 5.65% more than that from nuclear power, which provided 2.125 quadrillion Btus and has remained largely unchanged in recent years. Energy from renewable sources is now 77.15% of that from domestic crude oil production, with the gap closing rapidly.
In terms of actual production, renewable electrical output increased by 25.82% in the first three months of 2011 compared to the first quarter of 2010. And get this … Solar-generated electricity increased by 104.8%!
This is great news.
<a title=”renewable energy production on the rise” href=”http://ases.org/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Renewable-electricity-passes-nuclear-in-U.S..html&Itemid=27″ target=”_blank”>Read the full article – click here</a>.
