GreenTech Solutions Groups delivered a 68 percent reduction in operational costs for Foothills Brewery
“The people at GreenTech helped us to make changes that will continue to save us energy and save on our bottom line, so we can continue to invest in bringing the public the best, top-quality beers.” Foothills Brewing President Jamie Bartholomaus
Winston-Salem, NC (PRWEB) June 02, 2017
GreenTech Solutions Group completed an LED lighting upgrade for Foothills Brewing that resulted in a 58 percent reduction in annual lighting energy usage for the award-winning brewery.
Winston-Salem-based Foothills Brewing is known for featuring some of the best hand-crafted beers in the Southeast. Its IPAs are enjoyed by many watching the Durham Bulls play ball. The brewery’s 2017 beer releases will be part of the ‘Craft Happiness IPA Project’ that aims to highlight local, national, and global causes. Each month, the brewery will focus on a human, environmental, or animal awareness campaign. That social consciousness was evident when the owners reached out to GreenTech Solutions Group for help reducing the brewery’s carbon footprint.
GreenTech carefully assessed the lighting needs and energy usage of the brewery and custom-designed a lighting plan. The LED lighting upgrade in the brewery brought significant energy savings for the 48,000-square foot facility. After legacy high bays and T12 fluorescents were replaced with energy-efficient LED fixtures, the brewery experienced a 68 percent reduction in annual operational costs. A summary of benefits is as follows:
- 58% reduction in annual lighting energy usage
- 1.8 year payback period
- 68% reduction in annual operational costs
- 30% savings in energy incentives
- 44,172 kWh reduction in annual energy usage
The lighting upgrade began by illuminating dark areas behind the brewing tanks with LED wall packs. After removing all of the 8-foot strip lights, high lumen LED high bays were strategically placed around tanks, packaging, and bottling lines to aid in production and cleanup. The maintenance shop was also upgraded with LED tubes providing, better lighting for task performance. The upgrade resulted in improved overall lighting quality, providing a safer and more pleasant atmosphere. It also allows the employees to better inspect the final product, something Foothills takes very seriously.
“We take pride in our advocacy efforts at Foothills, and upgrading the lighting to LEDs is just a small step we can take to make a big impact on the environment,” said Foothills Brewing President Jamie Bartholomaus. “The people at GreenTech helped us to make changes that will continue to save us energy and save on our bottom line, so we can continue to invest in bringing the public the best, top-quality beers.”
GreenTech helped secure 30 percent of the project’s upfront costs in energy savings for the brewery, resulting in a quick 1.8 year payback period. LED lighting is longer lasting, so the bulbs will need to be replaced much less often, offering significant savings on maintenance and the cost of replacement bulbs. In fact, the LED upgrade will continue to yield Foothills a 68 percent savings in annual operational costs.
“We commend Foothills Brewing for their vision and environmental advocacy,” said GreenTech CEO Glenn Edmonds. “Whether it’s with the LED lighting upgrade or spotlighting an environmental cause with their IPAs, the folks at Foothills are committed to making a large impact with their business.”
The LED lighting retrofit also resulted in a 44,172 kWh reduction in annual energy usage, which is the equivalent of planting 26 acres of forest or consuming 3,508 gallons of gasoline. For a business committed to making a big impact on the environment, Foothills Brewing has fulfilled that commitment by implementing the lighting solutions provided by the team at GreenTech Solutions Group. Not only will patrons and employees enjoy a better lit atmosphere within the brewery, the environment will benefit as well.
About GreenTech Solutions Group: GreenTech Solutions Group was founded in 2009, designed as a full-service consulting firm to deliver proven energy efficiency solutions that reduce clients’ consumption, help protect our environment, conserve resources, and ultimately generate a timely return on investment. They specialize in cutting-edge energy-efficient lighting, energy management, mechanical efficiency, alternative energy production, and more, planning and implementing projects for businesses of all sizes in every industry nationwide. GreenTech’s team is composed of dedicated industry experts, each bringing extensive backgrounds and unique perspectives to every project. Their process has been designed to offer turnkey project delivery for each of its clients. They apply their experience and knowledge to assess and analyze each clients’ current situations thoroughly, identify cost-effective strategies for improving efficiency, develop a detailed plan, and oversee the implementation of the plan for optimal results. For more info visit: http://www.greentechnc.com
About Foothills Brewing: It seems simple. Water. Yeast. Grains. Hops. That’s all it takes to make beer. But what we do with those simple ingredients within these walls is what makes us special. Foothills began brewing beer at our West 4th Street location in Winston-Salem in March 2005, with three 15-barrel fermenters. Jamie and his brewers managed to crank out 800 barrels of beer that year, and doubled that output the following year. As demand and production continued to increase, the need became obvious for more space. The solution came in the form of a 48,000 square-foot warehouse a few miles away, an old manila envelope factory that was retro-fitted with brewing equipment and became Foothills’ main production facility, located at 3800 Kimwell Drive. Today, both brewery locations continue to produce our top-quality beers. We offer weekend tours from our tasting room at our main brewing facility. Conversely, if you ask nicely at the downtown brewpub, you can probably get a peek at the operation.
