Firestone Walker Brewing Company installed solar panels on their property, which offsets 1,210 metric tons of carbon emissions annually and recaptures 4.4 million pounds of CO2 yearly.
RNDC will be working closely with CBRE( owner of RNDC’ s Tracy CA facility) to add solar and reduce the hours they are on the CA grid.“ The goal will be to be solar powered from 4pm. to 9pm., which is California peak energy usage time,” she says.
Wholesalers aren’ t the only companies working on increasing their solar usage. Many suppliers, including California-based Firestone Walker Brewing Company, are adding solar panels to their plots.
Firestone Walker’ s solar array offsets 1,210 metric tons of carbon emissions annually and recaptures 4.4 million pounds of CO2 yearly, according to the company. By the end of 2025, the solar arrays will power 60 % of the brewery, generating 5 million kilowatt hours annually.
“ Although technology is constantly improving the brewing process and efficiency, it is merely incremental, principally because brewers have been focused on these sustainable processes for centuries,” says Firestone Walker co-founder David Walker.
“ That said, any new technology adds to an already heavy capital burden that an Old-World production format like a brewer demands,” he continues.“ The brewery needs to be
Firestone Walker Brewing Company co-founders Adam Firestone and David Walker.
financially healthy and working within its limits to afford some of these innovations. There needs to be a culture and commitment to reducing waste and repurposing materials such that long-term investments are supported.”
The more companies focus on reducing their carbon footprint, the better off we are leaving the earth. By taking on some of the above tactics or trying some of your own, you can do your part in being more sustainable. •
34 Beverage Wholesaler • Summer 2025 www. beveragewholesaler. com