Solar beer from Budweiser
I’m always on the look-out for innovative ways that people are using solar power. In particular, I love showcasing corporations that are using solar energy for their operations, from Costco to Google, many companies are now relying on the power of the sun to charge up operations.
This week, I heard about solar beer from Budweiser. That is, the “King of Beers” is now relying on solar power through the installation of PV solar arrays on 6 acres of land at its Fairfield, California plant.
The new solar panel installation is the result of an arrangement made last year between the beverage company and SunEdison, which installed and operates the Anheuser-Busch solar energy system. While I applaud Budweiser, I am somewhat disappointed at the idea they could have done more:
“The system, which has a capacity of almost 1.2 MW, generates the equivalent about 3 percent of the brewery’s electricity needs. The company is considering whether to expand the solar installation and diversify the facility’s on-site generation of renewable energy by putting in a wind turbine.”
But, still, 3% is better than nothing. And, I am impressed by the projection that the company expects use of renewables at all locations to exceed 15 percent by the end of the year. That translates into the power to produce 5 billion 12-oz. bottles of beer!
Do you find it hard to believe that the Wassup guys could be that green?
While Budweiser gets more and more green, consider this fact.
“Anheuser-Busch is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders Program and has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for all U.S. operations to 5 percent below 2005 levels by 2010.”
What is your brew doing for you? And the environment?
Tags: anhaueser-busch, budweiser wassup, solar beer from budweiser, sunedison
