Fort Collins, Colo.-based New Belgium Brewing Co. has completed a 200 kW solar array, which the company says is the largest privately owned solar array in Colorado.
The 200 kW system will produce 16% of New Belgium's peak electrical load and 3% of its total electrical energy use. The array is part of the brewery's commitment to Fort Collins' FortZED initiative, a public/private partnership that aims to create the world's largest active zero energy district through smart grid initiatives and renewable energy technology.
Boulder, Colo.-based Namaste Solar was contracted for the integration, which began in August 2009. The New Belgium packaging hall now holds 870 panels, and engineers estimate it can power the bottle line for up to eight hours on a sunny day.
New Belgium, along with several other Fort Collins entities – such as the City of Fort Collins, Colorado State University, Spirae Inc., Brendle Group, Advanced Energy and Woodward – responded to a request from the Department of Energy to demonstrate peak load reduction. The partners were one of nine groups nationwide to receive such a grant.
SOURCE: New Belgium Brewing
