Lucky Labrador Brewing Company, based in Portland, OR has been using solar energy for the past year to heat water used in the brewing process, according to an article in Scientific American.
The brewers use solar heated water in the first stage of the brewing process. During this stage, malted barley and other grains are steeped at temperatures around 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The heated water extracts sugars from the grains which are fermented by yeast later in the process.
Unfortunately, 100% of the entire brewing process cannot be powered by the sun, because one stage requires boiling water. The solar installation at the Lucky Labrador brewery can only heat water to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, 32 degrees short of the boiling point.
The solar installation cost $70,000 up front, though the brewery recovered all but $6,000 of that investment through various tax credits and opportunity grants. They also saved $3,000 on energy costs in the first year of operation, at which rate the installation will be paid for by early 2010.
The installation consists of sixteen 4' X 10' solar panels on the roof of the brewery. Lucky Labrador Brewing Company operates three pubs in Portland.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
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