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Birdsong Brewing Invests in Solar Energy
July 14, 2017
Birdsong Brewing has announced plans to install solar panels to the roof of its brewery, an initial investment of $110,000 which is projected to deliver around $315,000 worth of electricity in the next 25 years. For more, see below:
Sustainability isn’t just an idea for Birdsong Brewing, it’s a mission. And one that will pick up considerable power later this summer: Birdsong will add solar panels to the brewery roof in August. The solar array will generate 50 percent of the energy the brewery requires to operate.
In August, Renewable Energy Design Group of Lewisville, NC, will install a custom 75 kilowatt array for the roof of the brewery. Around 200 panels will be mounted on custom frames and wired directly into the building’s power supply.
With this move into renewable energy — thought to be the first of its kind by a Charlotte brewery — Birdsong will be among a handful of breweries in the state to invest in solar power. Early brewery adopters of solar include Highland Brewing, New Belgium and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Birdsong consumes about 25,000 kilowatt hours of energy per month, which is equivalent to what it takes to power 30 homes. The panels installed by Renewable Energy Design Group will produce 10,000-12,000 kilowatts hours per month.
The move to solar is an investment, to be sure. Birdsong’s array carries a price tag of more than $110,000, adjusted to reflect a 30 percent federal tax credit and reduced property taxes. The system is forecasted to produce roughly $315,000 worth of electricity over 25 years.