Fancy a cold one over the holiday season but also keen to support businesses taking action on climate change? Then whet your whistle with Australia’s top renewable brews!
1: Stomping Ground
Stomping Ground installed 100kW of solar panels generating enough power to cover the small business’s sizeable energy needs.
Stomping Ground is conscious of their packaging and use aluminium cans which are 100% recyclable. They also weigh less than glass and allow 100 cartons per pallet (25% more than bottles) which means less weight and less greenhouse gas pollution.
Their beer garden and indoor plants use rainwater collected from their roof.
100% of their spent grain after the brew is used on a local cattle farm.
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
2. Helios Brewing
Helios Brewery not only uses rooftop solar for power, but has installed a solar thermal system which heats water to over 90°C. The hot water is then stored in tanks before being used in the brewing process. This solar thermal system reduces energy needs by 30% on a typical brew day.
During a typical day Helios Brewery exports 40% of the power they produce to the grid.
The brewery also has plans to install battery storage, and cut its waste to landfill by giving its spent grain to local pig farmers.
Getting to 100% solar powered beer remains a personal goal for the owners of Helios Brewing.
Location: Brisbane, Queensland
3: Young Henrys
Young Henrys used a community-funding model to install 29.9kW solar on its Newtown establishment.
A big part of Young Henry’s philosophy is built on keeping things local and reducing environmental impact.
Most of their beer is sold within a few suburbs of the brewery and they encourage the use of refillable glass growlers which can be reused.
Young Henry’s packaged beer mostly comes in cans, which takes less energy to transport, because they are lighter.
Each day, at the beginning of the brewing process, Young Henrys donates more than a tonne of spent grain to local farms where it is used to feed cattle.
Location: Sydney, New South Wales
4: Bright Brewery
Bright Brewery expects to save around $18,000 a year through the installation of a 50kW solar system to supply all of its electricity needs.
Bright Brewery aims to minimise their overall environmental footprint by ensuring that their beer production is as close to carbon neutral as possible.
Bright Brewery recycles or re-purposes many items and materials the company uses in beer production. This includes old kegs as light shades; wash basins as seats; plastic cider kegs as bins; and the keg bladders as light shades. Plus, their end-of-life pallets have been turned into tables and dividers.
They reduce their consumption of energy and water by doing back to back brews, recycling both heat and water. This process significantly reduces their energy consumption.
Location: Bright, Victoria
5: 4 Pines
The 4 Pines brewing company recently launched a 100kW solar crowdfunding campaign. In 2017, 4 Pines banned single use plastics and implemented a 70% improvement in their waste management practices.
4 Pines has repurposed kegs and use old bottle labels as wallpaper.
Like other breweries, 4 Pines donate almost all of their spent grain to a local farm, where it is used to feed cattle.
Location: Sydney, New South Wales
6: Stone & Wood
Stone & Wood has a 100kW solar system installed at the Murwillumbah brewery, providing about 15% of the site’s electricity.
Stone & Wood also has a ‘Green Feet Program’. This program is aimed at minimising their environmental footprint by striving to not only reduce, reuse, and recycle but also to explore innovative practices by reimagining the ecology of brewing – with a focus on water, energy, and waste reduction. The company now recycles 97% of its waste.
Stone & Wood was awarded the Premier’s Award for Environmental Excellence at the 2017 Green Globe Awards.
Location: Byron Bay, New South Wales
7: Carlton and United Breweries
Australia’s biggest brewing company, Carlton and United Breweries (CUB) is making the shift to renewable power.
Its parent company, Anheiser-Busch InBev, has committed to 100% renewable energy across its global operations by 2025.
CUB has signed a contract with the new 112MW Karadoc solar farm in Victoria and will soon be installing solar panels on its facilities right across Australia.
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s is part of the RE100 program, which comprises over 150 global corporations committed to powering their operations with 100% renewable electricity.
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
8: Grand Ridge Brewery
Grand Ridge Brewery installed 100kW of rooftop solar, which now generates the majority of the brewery’s energy.
All Grand Ridge packaging is fully recyclable.
Plus its new Twisted Sister craft cider range is also vegan friendly.
Location: Mirboo North, Victoria
Keen for more Aussie producers who are making the switch to renewable energy? Check out our latest report A Renewable Feast!