May 21 2010
American brewery Anheuser-Busch has completed a solar array installation on its brewery in Newark, New Jersey.
The array, comprising over 3,000 photovoltaic solar panels spanning over an area of 65,000 sq. ft., will have the capacity to meet at least 5% of the electricity requirements of the brewery.
These solar panels will generate over 525,000 kWh per year, sufficient to power 62 New Jersey homes annually.
The array was designed and installed by Orion Energy Systems. This company will also monitor, maintain and operate the array. Anheuser-Busch has established a contract with Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) for hosting a solar power facility at the brewery at Newark. PSE&G will provide Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to individuals or businesses to assist offset greenhouse gas emissions and consumption of fossil fuels.
Utilizing alternative energy is not something new to Anheuser-Busch. For over 15 years, the Bio-Energy Recovery System (BERS) of the brewery has been in operation, converting the wastewater nutrients into biogas that offers around 15% of the energy required to power the boilers of the facility.
Source: http://www.anheuser-busch.com/